The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) has issued a stern warning to media houses, journalists, and online content creators, cautioning them against the rising trend of publishing unscientific and unauthorised election-related opinion polls—or what it describes as “voodoo polls”—ahead of the November 27 by-elections.
In a strongly worded advisory released on Sunday, November 23, 2025, the Council reminded all media practitioners that disseminating such “instant polls” or “call-ins” is not only unethical but illegal under the Publication of Electoral Opinion Polls Act, 2012.
According to the law, no person is permitted to publish the results of any electoral opinion poll on the day of the election or within the five days preceding it. The MCK warned that many of the polls circulating online fall far short of the professional and methodological standards expected in legitimate opinion surveys.
“These practices mislead the public, undermine ethical journalism, and blatantly violate the law,” MCK noted, adding that most of these snap polls lack scientific rigour and are often presented as fact despite being derived from random call-ins, social media comments, or vox-pop snippets.
The Council further underscored that its Election Reporting Guidelines apply across all platforms—including social media, live broadcasts, talk shows, and online channels. Journalists and media organisations are specifically required to refrain from conducting or sharing opinion polls on their social media platforms during the restricted period.
The Guidelines explicitly state that “statements gathered during live or pre-recorded vox-pop segments from people chosen at random are not scientific surveys.”
With political temperatures rising in the final days before the by-elections, MCK urged media houses to resist the lure of sensational content and instead uphold accuracy, fairness, and legal compliance.
“Journalists and media organisations must avoid practices that violate the law or their own ethical codes,” the advisory concludes, calling for responsible journalism that protects the integrity of the electoral process.
For inquiries, MCK directed media to its communication channels via +254 111 019 200 or communications@mediacouncil.or.ke.
As the race to November 27 enters the homestretch, the message from Kenya’s top media regulator is unmistakable: stop the voodoo polls—or face the consequences.
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