IEBC accused of freezing key election tender so staff can travel abroad

Kenya , November 04, 2026 - A political group led by former Attorney General Justin Muturi has accused the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission of pausing a critical election technology tender so its own officers can travel overseas.

The United Alternative Government says this is happening at the same time IEBC is publicly warning that court cases could delay preparations for the 2027 General Election. The group calls the situation troubling and says Kenyans deserve better.

According to the statement, the Commission’s Chief Executive Officer and Head of Procurement are currently out of the country on trips that could have been postponed. Both officers play central roles in awarding the election technology contract. Muturi’s group says their absence raises serious questions about the Commission’s sense of urgency.

The statement goes further. It claims the technology tender itself has been put on hold to allow members of the evaluation committee to travel abroad as well. This, the group says, shows that IEBC does not share the same worry Kenyans feel about the shrinking time left before the 2027 polls.

The Commission has recently pointed to court cases as a major threat to its election preparations. Muturi’s group does not deny that lawsuits can slow things down. But it argues that IEBC is also creating delays through its own choices. Blaming the courts, the statement says, cannot hide the Commission’s own role in the problem.