IEBC to release mini poll calendar in one week

Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Chairperson Erastus Edung Ethekon during swearing-in at the Supreme Court, Nairobi, on July 11, 2025.[Kanyiri Wahito, Standard] The calendar for by-elections in 23 elective positions will be released within a week, Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairperson Erastus Ethekon has announced. Mr Ethekon said preparations for the mini-polls were at an advanced stage and that the exercise would be concluded before the end of the year. "The by-elections will fill various vacant seats across the country, including parliamentary and ward positions left vacant due to the deaths of elected leaders or court-ordered nullifications," he said during a stakeholders' meeting in Nairobi. The 23 vacancies include one senatorial seat in Baringo, left vacant following the death of Senator William Cheptumo, and six parliamentary seats-Kasipul, Malava, Banisa, Magarini, Mbeere North and Ugunja-whose representatives either died, had their victories nullified or were appointed to Cabinet. The announcement came a day after the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) accused the government of deliberately delaying the by-elections. The party claimed the Kenya Kwanza administration was sabotaging the process. DCP Deputy Party Leader Cleophas Malala on Tuesday alleged that there were efforts to postpone the polls, suggesting the ruling UDA party was unprepared. "We urge the IEBC to stand by its word. At their last press briefing, they promised to announce the date for the by-elections within a week. To date, IEBC has not issued the dates. We are aware that the ruling party is pushing for delays because it has realised it cannot win any of the 22 by-elections. IEBC is an independent commission and must act as such. We are ready for the election, and I urge the ruling party to stop interfering with IEBC," said Mr Malala while unveiling the party's candidates. But Mr Ethekon assured stakeholders that the Commission would conduct the exercise independently and transparently, as required by the Constitution. He also dismissed claims that the 2027 General Election would lack credibility. "Our elections are highly regulated. People vote, we tally and announce the results. There will be no stealing of votes-we deal with numbers, not feelings and perceptions. We do not take unlawful orders," he said. He also dismissed claims that ghost polling stations had been created in non-existent public schools. This follows a recent report by the Auditor General, which revealed that 33 schools had received billions of shillings over four years despite lacking physical presence. "I don't think ghost schools exist. The polling stations can be confirmed, but we shall verify every claim to ensure there is no doubt surrounding the 2027 General Election," he added. While expressing concern about politicians' habit of early campaigning, Mr Ethekon said the definition of an "early campaign" remained unclear and would require clarification. "Every hour feels like campaign season, but the definition of early campaigns is a murky affair. One may attend a funeral or a Sunday school event and introduce themselves as an aspirant. We shall hold a consultative forum with the Attorney General to better understand and define early campaigns as we work on establishing clear thresholds," he said. On her part, Kenya Editors Guild President Zubeidah Kananu urged the Commission to provide timelines for mass voter registration, boundary review-which she noted was overdue since 2012-and the procurement or replacement of electoral materials and equipment. "We are also concerned about the growing wave of political intolerance, where rallies are being disrupted by hired goons. Hate speech and inflammatory remarks are being normalised, and few perpetrators are brought to book," said Ms Kananu. She warned that such a climate threatens democracy and journalists' safety, and called on the Commission to speak out and work with law enforcement agencies to protect civic space.

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