The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has strongly criticised political leaders making claims about influencing or manipulating the outcome of the 2027 General Election, warning that such remarks could undermine public confidence in the country’s democratic process.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon termed the claims reckless and baseless, saying they risk misleading Kenyans and damaging trust in the electoral system long before the next polls are held.
“These utterances, which have elicited considerable disquiet within the electoral environment, pose a real risk of distorting public perception of Kenya’s democratic processes,” the commission said.
“IEBC considers such utterances to be unacceptable, reckless and entirely baseless,” the statement added.
According to the IEBC, such claims lead to unnecessary tension in the society and the creation of a wrong image of the electoral body as being either corrupt or subject to external influences.
The commission stated that according to the Constitution of Kenya, the task of conducting and managing elections lies squarely with the IEBC as per Article 88 of the same constitution.
Furthermore, the IEBC also stated that any individual who tries to undermine public confidence in the electoral process will face severe legal consequences through actions by the competent authorities.
“IEBC shall engage the relevant authorities for appropriate action. It is time political actors stopped hoodwinking the public that the election will be rigged and instead start embracing the steps set out on the country’s preparedness to conduct the 2027 General Election,” the statement read.
The response from IEBC follows controversial remarks made recently by Kakamega Deputy Governor Ayub Savula, who suggested that President William Ruto’s administration would have influence over the 2027 elections because it controls the national budget and facilitates IEBC operations.
On the other hand, Savula went on to defend his statement, arguing that the statements were made out of context and that he only wanted to exhibit confidence in the political space before the elections.
According to sources, the statement was made at a UDA delegates’ meeting in Lugari, where according to sources, Hamisi MP Charles Gimose asked the delegates to help in ensuring that Ruto wins the elections in 2027.
This has caused political debate that saw Deputy President Kithure Kindiki separate the Kenya Kwanza government from any allegation of interfering with election.
Kindiki speaking in Kisii on May 25 during the inspection of government programs argued that the government has never abandoned the principles of democracy, rule of law and political competition.
IEBC on its part explained that the code of conduct for political parties and candidates in election period is not operational yet due to the fact that there has been no official announcement regarding the election.
As per IEBC, in light of the judgment by the Supreme Court in Sabina Chege petition of 2022, there has been no gazettement of the 2027 General Elections hence premature political debates about election rigging.
