By Brian Kiprono - Reporter
Kenya, 2 September 2026 - With Kenya less than a year away from the 2027 General Election, the biggest test facing the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) may not simply be whether it can organise the vote, but whether Kenyans will trust the process and accept its outcome.
That question has become increasingly difficult to ignore as political parties, civil society and other stakeholders scrutinise the commission’s preparedness, independence and internal decisions.
IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon has repeatedly sought to reassure the country that the commission will not be pushed around by political interests.
Speaking during a National Election Security Roundtable Consultative Forum, Ethekon was emphatic: “We will guard our independence at all costs.”
He also warned against what he described as narratives capable of weakening public confidence in institutions before an election is even held.
“Our elections are highly regulated by law and there's nowhere the law allows even the chairman of IEBC to put a comma anywhere,” he said.
But for an electoral commission, credibility cannot be secured through assurances alone. It is built through decisions that voters, candidates and political parties can see, understand and independently scrutinise. And this is where the IEBC faces its most delicate challenge.
A commission under political scrutiny
Opposition leaders have repeatedly questioned whether the electoral agency is sufficiently independent to conduct the 2027 election without political interference.
On August 8, 2026, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka raised the issue during a meeting with the French and German ambassadors in Nairobi. His argument was that constitutional independence must translate into what Kenyans actually see in the commission's conduct.
“If Kenyans are to have confidence in their elections, the Commission has to be independent in practice, not just on paper,” Kalonzo said.
The concerns come at a time when the commission is also facing criticism over preparations for the 2027 election, including procurement and election technology.
Former Deputy President and DCP party leader Rigathi Gachagua has gone further, alleging that the proposed election management technology procurement could compromise the 2027 process. Those are serious political allegations, but they remain allegations and should not be treated as established facts without supporting evidence or findings by the relevant oversight bodies.
Ethekon, for his part, has challenged politicians and other actors to provide evidence rather than make claims that could undermine confidence in the electoral process.
“We shall call out those people and institutions, whether in the media or political or civic space, that without any justifiable reason tries to undermine IEBC and electoral process without fear or favour,” he said.
The tension illustrates the difficult space in which the commission now operates: it must remain independent without appearing secretive, and transparent without allowing political actors to dictate its decisions.
Trust is the real election battleground
Political analyst Javas Bigambo has argued that the credibility of an election goes beyond the appearance or sophistication of ballot papers and electoral technology.
He said that politicians themselves have sometimes contributed to weakening confidence in the IEBC through public statements.
“Credibility is not determined by how many features a ballot paper has,” Bigambo said.
He argued that the commission must communicate clearly about critical decisions, particularly those involving technology, ballot-paper printing and disciplinary matters.
“What the IEBC needs to do to build and sustain public confidence is to make clear, by itself, what it is doing regarding matters of technology, the printing of ballot papers and disciplinary issues,” he said.
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For Bigambo, transparency does not mean allowing political parties to participate in every decision.
The commission, he said, should “be open and clear and explain to Kenyans everything it is doing procedurally. But it should not bend over backwards and accept every demand being made by politicians.” That distinction could prove critical in 2027.
Leadership changes add another layer
The IEBC has also experienced institutional changes ahead of the election.
Chief Executive Officer Marjan Hussein Marjan resigned on February 3, 2026, with the commission describing his departure as a mutual agreement. His exit came as the electoral body was preparing for the 2027 polls and amid questions around internal governance and procurement.
Ethekon, who took the commission's top position after being sworn in on July 11, 2025, has since sought to project an institution that is preparing early and working with other state agencies and stakeholders.
He has also acknowledged that IEBC cannot deliver an election in isolation.
“Independence does not mean you are operating in an island somewhere; you are operating in a country which has different diverse shareholders,” he said.
That may be one of the central realities of the 2027 election.
The IEBC must work with security agencies, political parties, the media, civil society and other institutions. Yet the same commission must ultimately be able to make electoral decisions without taking instructions from any of them.
The credibility test
Kenya's electoral history shows that disputes are often fuelled not only by what happens on polling day, but by doubts that emerge long before voters cast their ballots. That makes the months ahead particularly important.
The commission will have to demonstrate that voter registration, voter-list management, technology procurement, boundary-related matters, ballot-paper production, recruitment and deployment of election officials and results management are being handled transparently and within the law.
Just as importantly, political leaders will have to decide whether they will challenge the IEBC through evidence and lawful mechanisms or through statements that could deepen public suspicion. The stakes are bigger than the IEBC itself.
A commission that is technically prepared but distrusted can still face a legitimacy crisis. Conversely, an institution that commands confidence is more likely to have its decisions accepted even when the electoral contest produces winners and losers.
Ethekon says he accepted what he calls the IEBC's “hot seat” because he believes Kenya has the people and institutions capable of delivering a peaceful, credible and fair election.
“So, for me I said, if we can do it all over the world, why can't we do it in our country,” he said.
The question now is whether the commission can turn that confidence into something more tangible for the millions of Kenyans who will go to the ballot in 2027.
Ultimately, the credibility of the 2027 election will not be decided by IEBC's promises alone. It will be determined by whether Kenyans can see, before they vote, an electoral process that is transparent, independent, lawful and credible enough for both winners and losers to trust.