NAIROBI, Kenya — The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has hosted a delegation from the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) as part of a peer-learning programme aimed at strengthening election management ahead of Zambia’s 2026 General Election.
The visit, held on January 12, comes as Zambia prepares for its August 13, 2026 polls under a newly amended Constitution that has introduced a Mixed Member Proportional Representation (MMPR) electoral system.
The system blends the First Past the Post (FPTP) model with Proportional Representation (PR) for the election of women, youth, and persons with disabilities to Parliament and county-level councils.
IEBC Chairperson Erastus Edung Ethekon, accompanied by other commissioners, welcomed the Zambian delegation and said Kenya was honoured to be selected as a reference point for the reforms.
He said the Commission was committed to sustaining institutional exchanges between the two countries as part of a broader effort to strengthen democratic governance across the region.
During the engagement, IEBC officials shared Kenya’s experience in managing elections under a proportional representation framework, particularly how special seats for women, youth, and persons with disabilities are allocated and administered alongside constituency-based elections.
Zambia’s move to adopt the MMPR system marks a significant shift in its electoral architecture, aimed at making elected bodies more inclusive while retaining direct constituency representation.
Under the new system, voters will continue to elect MPs and councillors through FPTP, while additional seats will be distributed to political parties in proportion to their overall vote share.
For Kenya, the exchange draws on its experience implementing constitutional provisions introduced in 2010, which created gender-top-up and special-interest seats at both national and county levels.
These mechanisms are designed to give effect to Article 27 of the Constitution, which requires that no more than two-thirds of any elective body be of the same gender, and to guarantee representation of marginalised groups.
IEBC said the collaboration with ECZ highlights the importance of regional solidarity in defending electoral integrity while building long-term institutional ties between Africa’s democracies.
