The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has condemned claims from a section of politicians that the 2027 General Election will be manipulated.
In a statement on Tuesday, IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon said the remarks pose a real risk of distorting public perception of Kenya’s democratic process.
“The utterances are clearly intended to instill fear, mislead the public, and erode confidence in the integrity of the electoral system. IEBC, therefore, urges all Kenyans to disregard, dissociate, and refrain from amplifying them.
“For avoidance of doubt, the duty and responsibility of conducting and supervising elections in Kenya is exclusively vested in the IEBC under Article 88 of the Constitution of Kenya. This mandate is not shared with, nor can it be usurped by, any individual, institution, or political actor,” read the statement in part.
The IEBC Chairperson also took issue with assertions portraying the commission as weak or compromised.
Ethekon termed the claims false and disrespectful to the institution’s constitutional role.
“Such claims are not only false and misleading but also deeply disrespectful to the institution and the constitutional role it plays in safeguarding the sovereign will of the people,” he said.
Further, IEBC said the Electoral Code of Conduct is currently not operational because the country is not within an election period.
The electoral body cited a Supreme Court decision that ruled that IEBC only exercises jurisdiction under the Electoral Code of Conduct during an election period.
“IEBC is clothed with the jurisdiction under the Code during the election period. This legal position was affirmed by the Supreme Court in the judgment of Hon. Sabina Chege, Supreme Court Petition No. 23 (E026) of 2022.
“Notably, the IEBC has not declared any elections. Further, there is no publication of the 2027 General Election that has been made to warrant the current wave of premature and irresponsible utterances,” Ethekon added.
