As Kenya approaches the August 9, 2022 general elections, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) faces heightened scrutiny over its readiness to conduct a transparent process, following the controversies of the 2017 presidential vote.
Concerns persist about the commission’s ability to deploy experienced personnel and secure reliable electronic voting systems, with sources indicating urgent operational gaps must be addressed to prevent repeating past errors. The Supreme Court’s 2017 ruling to annul the presidential election—costing taxpayers billions—has left a lingering demand for accountability.
Presidential candidates, including Azimio’s Martha Karua, have urged the IEBC to avoid the "massive blunders" that led to the 2017 annulment. Those irregularities, flagged by a Supreme Court led by Justice Maraga, included flawed procedures that triggered nationwide instability, reminiscent of the post-2007 violence.
The 2017 crisis reached a tragic peak when IEBC ICT chief Ezra Chiloba was kidnapped and murdered, a case that remains unsolved. Post-election safeguards also remain critical, as ballot materials must be protected from tampering to prevent disputes. The IEBC’s predecessor, the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK), was disbanded after its 2007 election debacle, which directly preceded the deadly violence.
Candidates’ polling agents must be allowed to monitor proceedings at all levels, ensuring transparency in voting for presidential, parliamentary, and county assembly seats. The stakes remain high as the nation watches whether the IEBC can deliver a process free from the systemic failures that have marred past elections.
