The 2027 General Election is less than a year away. Consciously engaged Kenyans are therefore entitled to expect a clear roadmap from the country’s electoral institutions on how they intend to deliver a free, fair, transparent, credible and verifiable election.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has a constitutional mandate to manage elections. Yet, as preparations for 2027 gather pace, the commission is already facing criticism from different stakeholders. Political formations have raised concerns about the procurement of strategic and non-strategic electoral materials. Raising such concerns is not, in itself, a bad thing. What is worrying is the increasingly antagonistic manner in which some political actors speak about what the IEBC is doing — or not doing.
I recently watched a political talk show featuring young Kenyans whose contributions were otherwise intelligent and thoughtful. Two appeared to dismiss concerns about the IEBC’s procurement of an elections management system. One argued there was no need to raise a critical voice because the system had not yet been procured and, therefore, there was no evidence of a corrupt deal or an intention to rig the election.
That argument is naive.
Electoral preparations are matters of enormous public interest. The IEBC does not operate in a vacuum. Its decisions affect every Kenyan and have implications for the country’s democratic stability. Kenyans therefore have every right to ask questions, raise concerns and demand explanations when they believe something requires scrutiny.
The media, too, has a public-interest responsibility to investigate such concerns. Allegations may ultimately prove unfounded, but that does not take away the media’s responsibility to examine them through lawful and responsible investigative methods.
The IEBC must, therefore, operate beyond reproach. It must present a predictable electoral system that every Kenyan can understand, while ensuring that the outcome remains unpredictable until voters have had their say.
The outcome of an election must reflect the voice of Kenyans expressed through a free, fair, transparent, credible and verifiable process.
At the same time, we must condemn attempts by both the opposition and the government to politicise the constitutional mandate of the IEBC.
Imagine officials of Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards publicly attacking or defending a referee before the Mashemeji Derby. Such conduct would immediately raise questions about the credibility of the match before a ball was kicked. The same principle applies to elections.
The opposition has raised questions about the IEBC even after celebrating its victory in the recent Ol Kalou election, which was conducted by the same electoral commission. This raises an important question: are some political actors genuinely concerned about electoral integrity, or are they already anticipating defeat and preparing the ground to challenge the outcome?
That is a dangerous path.
Constantly claiming that the electoral body is biased, rather than selling an agenda and building public support, can fuel voter apathy and create the impression that a political formation has already lost before the match has even begun.
But building confidence in the electoral process cannot be left to the IEBC alone. Every Kenyan who believes in the country’s democratic future has a role to play in helping the commission build a credible reputation and provide a clear roadmap to 2027.
Raising legitimate concerns is part of that process.
Civil society and the media have an especially important role. Kenya has a vibrant tradition of civil society activism, but much of it has historically focused on human rights. We need equally strong and self-regenerating civic institutions dedicated to strengthening democratic governance and electoral accountability.
Organisations such as the Katiba Institute demonstrate what public-interest advocacy can achieve. Personally, I would rather hear an assessment of the IEBC’s preparedness from a credible constitutional and public-interest organisation than from politicians such as Riggy G or Kimani Ichung’wah.
This is not because politicians should remain silent. They have every right to question the electoral process. But political accusations and political defence do little to build institutional trust.
The IEBC needs the media and a vibrant civil society to help rebuild its corporate image, brand reputation and public trust. It cannot achieve this by merely responding to politicians. Nor should politicians in government feel compelled to defend the commission simply because they enjoy political power.
The responsibility belongs first and foremost to the institution itself.
The IEBC must communicate openly, explain its decisions and make its processes accessible to public scrutiny. It must anticipate legitimate questions rather than wait for political actors to raise them. Most importantly, it must demonstrate that transparency is not a promise to be made during election season but a practice embedded in everything it does.
It is often said that an organisation cannot be that which it has not become.
For the IEBC, becoming a trusted electoral institution requires more than constitutional authority. It requires consistency, openness, accountability and a willingness to subject every important decision to public scrutiny.
Kenya cannot afford an election whose credibility is debated only after the votes have been counted. The credibility of the 2027 election will be determined, in large part, by what the IEBC does now.
The road to a credible election must therefore be clear, transparent and visible to every Kenyan — long before election day.
