Steve Ogolla: New IEBC should learn from past mistakes, avoid political entanglements
By Aloys Michael, July 14, 2025Steve Ogolla, Advocate of the High Court and governance expert, has urged the newly constituted Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to learn from the fallout surrounding the Cherera Four and to avoid political entanglements that risk undermining public trust in the commission’s independence and integrity.
In an interview on a local TV station on Monday, July 14, 2025, Ogolla emphasised the importance of neutrality, warning that political alignment, real or perceived, was at the heart of the crisis that previously engulfed the commission.
“Selection [was] political, functional depending on what they thought the commission was doing, whether for or against the political interest, expressing support or castigating the commission,” he stated. He noted that this dynamic eroded public confidence.
To avoid a repeat of such controversies, Ogolla advised the new commissioners to “aggressively discourage any express support from the political class.”
He cautioned that political endorsement, even if unsolicited, shifts public perception.
“That support is what changes the perception. If [a political faction] comes out to express support for this commission, they must disassociate themselves from that support,” he said.
“We don’t need this commission to be defended by any political faction… we need them to rely expressly on what the law says and how they can use the law to engage with the masses.” Ogolla emphasised that legal grounding, not political alliances, should guide the commission’s actions, asserting this is “a very important lesson” from the 2022 experience.
Conflict of interest
Beyond politics, Ogolla highlighted the need for internal cohesion within the IEBC. He warned against internal conflict and confusion of roles, referencing past tensions between commissioners and the secretariat.
“We certainly do not want to see infighting in the commission,” he said, urging a clear understanding of the “policy mandate of the Commission as against the administrative mandate of the secretariat.”
“I pray that the Chairman of the Commission and the [secretariat] work together.”
Ogolla noted that commissioners sometimes enter office with an overly reformed posture, failing to recognise the experience and institutional memory within the secretariat.
Ogolla warned against over-reliance on legal frameworks alone, stressing that public trust and perception form the foundation of credible elections.
“We de-emphasise or emphasise over-reliance on the law as the only pathway to delivering free, fair [elections]. The entire architecture of the Electoral Commission is almost entirely on public support,” he said.,
“People just want the commission to do the right thing the right way, and I emphasise: the right thing the right way.”
Ogolla expressed hope that, if the commission internalises these lessons, it can earn public confidence and deliver credible elections.
“If you use those as starting points, you can expect this commission to do a great job by March,” he stated.