IEBC dismisses 2027 poll rigging as fear-mongering

Dr Moses Alutalala Mukhwana, IEBC Commissioner before the Justice and Legal Affairs (JLAC) Committee on May 31, 2025. [File, Standard]

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has denied there is a possibility to interfere with the electoral process, citing deployment of a watertight system.

IEBC Commissioner Alutata Mukhwana yesterday dismissed threats by some politicians allied to President William Ruto that they "will ensure he is re-elected" even if the votes come short.

"It is not possible for any politician to steal an election in this country," he said, in an interview with Spice FM.

He added: "Even though politicians may say they will 'add votes'... they are in their field, let them do what they know best. But for us as IEBC, it is not possible to steal an election."

Mukhwana said the polling station is an independent unit, adding that voting begins and ends at the polling station. Once the ballot is cast, he said, the ballots do not go anywhere until they are tallied in the presence of agents.

He also criticized the winner-takes-all electoral model, which requires a presidential candidate to secure "50 per cent plus one vote" saying it fuels ethnic-based political alliances and leaves nearly half of the country feeling excluded.

"The system of elections in this country is known as majoritarian. All that a presidential candidate needs is to clock the 50 per cent mark and then look just for one vote. And it does not matter that the other candidate got 48 per cent of the votes. All you need is 50 plus one."

The commission is faced with the task of building public confidence. Mukhwana said IEBC is restructuring its operations in a bid to deliver credible elections and restore the confidence of Kenyans. He said the team had spent most of its first 50 days in office laying a foundation for operations.

"We made it purposeful that we need to reorganize the structure of the commission in a way that will help us carry out our manadate effectively. In 50 days, we have held close to 20 stakeholder engagements," he said.

The first litmus test for IEBC is the by-elections scheduled for November. The by-elections are expected to be hotly contested as the ruling broad based coalition and the united opposition use the contests as a test run for the 2027 General Election.