NAIROBI, Kenya — The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) will conduct a phased review of constituency and ward boundaries, its chairperson announced on Tuesday, acknowledging that the process has fallen behind schedule due to legal, operational, and financial challenges.
IEBC Chairperson Erastus Edung Ethekon said boundary delimitation is a constitutional requirement, but noted the commission has exceeded the mandated 8–12 year review cycle. The last review should have been completed by 2024.
Ethekon cited several reasons for the delay, including the prolonged period without a fully constituted commission, which halted policy decisions on boundaries. He also highlighted the unavailability of official 2019 census data, which is currently embroiled in court proceedings and is essential for population-based boundary adjustments.
“The legal injunctions we are facing pose a potential threat to the delivery of our mandate,” Ethekon stated, emphasizing that boundary reviews and election preparations are both complex and require broad consultation.
With the 2027 General Election approaching, Ethekon warned that timelines are already tight. Constitutionally, boundary reviews must be finalized at least a year before a general election—a deadline that has now passed.
In response, the IEBC has adopted what Ethekon called a “defensive strategy”—a cautious, phased approach to boundary work while safeguarding election preparations.
The commission has sought advisory opinions from the Attorney General and the Supreme Court to navigate the legal constraints.
Ethekon also pointed to a Sh20 billion funding shortfall for the 2027 polls, stressing that resource limitations affect both electoral readiness and boundary delimitation.
The chairperson further noted legal inconsistencies, such as the IEBC’s inability to change the number of constituencies and the existing cap on wards under the County Governments Act, which complicates the boundary review mandate.
