NAIROBI, Kenya – The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has admitted that mistrust within Kenya’s political landscape continues to force the country to outsource ballot printing, despite the high cost.
Appearing before the National Assembly’s Constitution Implementation Oversight Committee (CIOC) on Thursday, IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon said the commission would prefer to print ballot papers locally, including through the government printer, to save money and build local capacity. However, he noted that political mistrust has made that impossible.
“The day we will call ourselves Kenyans and rethink that we can print the ballots at home, then that day we will celebrate. But as things stand, we have a trust deficit,” Ethekon said.
The IEBC boss revealed that each ballot carries more than 11 security features, making it more expensive to produce than Kenyan currency. “That’s what the trust deficit brings to us,” he added.
During the 2022 elections, the commission spent about Sh3.4 billion to print more than 120 million ballots, with each ballot costing approximately Sh23.
Roadmap to 2027 elections
Ethekon, accompanied by fellow commissioners and CEO Marjan Hussein, was summoned to brief MPs on preparations for the 2027 General Election and address concerns over declining public confidence in the poll agency.
CIOC Chairperson Caroli Omondi said the two sides had agreed on a roadmap that includes legislative reviews affecting about 13 laws and continuous voter registration.
“We have had a very good consultative meeting with IEBC… We are satisfied with their preparedness, particularly for upcoming by-elections,” Omondi said.
IEBC said it will begin continuous voter registration on Friday, targeting 6.3 million new voters by 2027.
The commission projects the total number of registered voters could rise to more than 28 million.
“We are relying on data from the National Registration Bureau, unlike before when we used census projections,” Ethekon said. “We hope as IDs are issued, we are also registering them as voters.”
Confidence and credibility
On the question of waning public trust, Ethekon acknowledged past challenges, including external influence on some commissioners, but assured MPs that the agency was determined to remain united.
“When it comes to the presidency, the constitution guides us that it is the chairman to declare results. Pray for me that I will be there to do it, and I will do it,” he said.
The commission also promised to be guided by Supreme Court recommendations on collegiality to avoid situations where commissioners disown results, as seen in 2022.
Contested eligibility
MPs further pressed the commission to clarify whether impeached officials should be allowed to vie for elective office. But Ethekon declined to give a definitive position, citing constitutional ambiguity.
“Article 38 gives every Kenyan the right to participate in the political process, while Chapter Six bars those impeached from running. It would be premature for us to pronounce ourselves on this now,” he said.
Commissioner Hassan Noor added that IEBC would work internally to maintain unity and safeguard credibility.
“We have taken an oath of allegiance to the people of Kenya, the constitution and God. We will endeavour to give you the best,” Noor said.
Polling centres under review
On polling logistics, IEBC Vice Chairperson Fahima Abdalla told MPs that mapping of new registration centres is ongoing.
About 24,000 centres have already been identified, some of which will eventually serve as polling stations.
Kenya currently has about 46,000 polling stations nationwide.
