This archive report was first published on 3 August 2020.
Published on August 3, 2020, the IEBC's current state poses a significant risk to Kenya's future, with the commission unable to carry out its mandate due to a lack of commissioners and a chief executive.
The commission is operating with only three commissioners, including Chairman Wafula Chebukati, since five others walked away two years ago. This has left the commission unable to make policy decisions, limiting it to routine and administrative matters.
One of the critical activities that the commission is expected to execute is the review of the boundaries, which is a constitutional requirement. However, this cannot be done in the present circumstances, as the last boundary review was done and gazetted in 2012, a year before the 2013 General Election.
With the next review due before 2022, the commission should start the process now and conclude it next year. However, this is not possible in the prevailing scenario. Furthermore, there are talks of conducting a referendum arising out of the recommendations of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), which would require a fully constituted IEBC.
