NAIROBI — The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has invited political parties, independent candidates, state and non-state actors to a half-day forum on Monday, December 8, in Upperhill, Nairobi, to review the November 27, 2025, by-elections and draw lessons for future polls.
According to the invitation letter — signed by IEBC CEO Hussein Marjan Hussein — the meeting aims to: reflect on how the by-elections were conducted; gather feedback from stakeholders; and explore opportunities for collaboration to strengthen Kenyan democracy.
The letter urged participation from all election actors.
The relevance of this forum follows serious concerns raised around the by-elections. The Elections Observation Group (ELOG), which deployed long-term and roving observers across 22 electoral areas, acknowledged that polling-station operations were generally competent — most stations opened on time and counting was largely transparent.
Yet ELOG flagged a number of worrying incidents: verified cases of political interference, voter inducement (including cash handouts and material giveaways), harassment, intimidation, and misuse of state resources in several constituencies.
In some areas, unaccredited “super agents,” plain-clothes security officers, and other unauthorized individuals were reported inside polling stations — a serious breach of rules meant to guarantee ballot secrecy and fairness.
Given these allegations, several civil-society organisations — among them Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), Transparency International – Kenya (TI-Kenya), Independent Medico‑Legal Unit (IMLU), and Siasa Place — have threatened to mount legal challenges, citing electoral irregularities committed during the polls.
The upcoming IEBC meeting will therefore be watched closely by political parties, civil society, and the public — as a litmus test of the Commission’s willingness to confront the problems or risk further erosion of trust ahead of the 2027 general elections.
