Herculean tasks await new IEBC team as Kenyans watch keenly
By Francis Muli, July 18, 2025Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has officially returned to full functionality, setting the stage for the real work: restoring confidence in the electoral system and preparing the country for the 2027 General Election.
The reconstitution ends months of institutional paralysis and unlocks the commission’s ability to conduct elections, oversee reforms, and manage electoral boundaries. However, the IEBC enters a complex political environment marked by public scepticism, rising youth demands, and unfinished reform agendas.
In its first official act, the newly sworn-in commissioners held a plenary session that saw Fahima Araphat Abdalla elected as vice chairperson. The commission is expected to appoint committee heads soon—a critical step that will shape how policy decisions are made and implemented.
An induction workshop is also underway to equip commissioners with key insights on electoral law, audit findings from past elections, stakeholder engagement frameworks, and technology-related safeguards.
Over 1.2 million Kenyans lack representation
One of the immediate challenges facing the new IEBC is the representation crisis caused by vacant parliamentary and ward seats. At least six constituencies, including Kasipul, Malava, Banisa, Magarini, Mbeere North, and Ugunja, are without MPs due to deaths, court rulings, or cabinet appointments. Over 16 ward seats are also unoccupied.
This has left more than 1.2 million Kenyans without legislative representation—no motions, no CDF projects, no oversight. The IEBC is now expected to conduct at least 22 by-elections, which will serve as a litmus test for its organisational capacity and integrity.
Key to success will be the timely gazettment of election dates, transparent procurement, real-time communication, and professional handling of electoral disputes.
Cleaning up voter register
For years, Kenya’s voter register has been criticised as bloated and unreliable. The IEBC now faces mounting pressure to clean up the register before any major election cycle begins. This includes removing deceased voters, eliminating duplicate records and updating details for voters who have relocated.
Reaching Gen Zs
Since 2022, over 1 million young Kenyans have turned 18, but the majority are not registered to vote. The IEBC is being urged to adopt a youth-first outreach approach, moving beyond traditional drives to include collaborations with influencers and artists, voter education on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, activations at universities, colleges, and TVETs and use of interactive digital content such as memes, reels, and live Q&As.
Boundary review
Kenya’s last electoral boundary review was in 2012, yet the Constitution mandates a review every 8–12 years. Rapid population growth in urban centres and uneven voter distribution have created significant disparities.
The IEBC must now launch a boundary review calendar, hold public forums across counties, and use current census data to correct these imbalances, a task expected to face inevitable political pushback.
Electoral reforms
From the Inter-Parties Parliamentary Group (IPPG) reforms in late 1997 to the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), Kenya has seen numerous reform proposals stall due to political resistance. The new IEBC is expected to breathe new life into reforms, including regulating campaign financing, enforcing political party discipline, digitising dispute resolution timelines and enhancing professionalism among polling staff.
The reforms are critical not just for 2027, but for rebuilding public trust in the entire electoral process.