NCCK calls on IEBC to act over rampant voter bribery

IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon during the stakeholder engagement forum, December 8, 2025. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

The National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) has issued a stern warning to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) over the corrosive influence of money in the country’s politics, calling for immediate reforms ahead of the 2027 General Election.

During a consultative meeting with IEBC commissioners, the religious body expressed concern that money has become the dominant force in Kenyan politics, effectively determining who can contest elections, who wins, and whose interests are ultimately served after the ballots are cast.

The council strongly criticised the continued efforts by political leaders to frustrate the implementation of the Election Campaign Financing Act over the past 13 years. According to the NCCK, political campaigns have become costly financial investments, heavily funded by wealthy individuals, businesses and informal financiers who expect substantial returns once elections are over.

“We strongly recommend that you subject the draft Election Campaign Financing Regulations, 2026, and the Determination of the Election Campaign Finance Spending Limits for the 2027 General Election to nationwide public participation within the August 10, 2026, timeline,” said the NCCK General Secretary, Rev Canon Chris Kinyanjui.

The NCCK also condemned what it described as blatant electoral malpractice, urging the IEBC to take decisive action against political actors engaging in voter bribery and economic coercion “with abject impunity”. The council cited an incident in Ol Kalou in which a political leader, allegedly captured on video, announced the distribution of cash handouts and confiscated recipients’ national identity cards.

IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon acknowledged the concerns raised by the clergy and assured the delegation of the commission’s commitment to conducting free, fair and credible elections. “The commissioners have gained valuable experience from conducting 32 by-elections, which have better prepared us for the 2027 General Election,” he said.