IEBC abdication of duty risks poll violence in 2027

Residents of Ol Kalou town receive goodies donated by the government ahead of the July 16 by-election in Ol Kalou constituency. [James Munyeki, Standard]

As Ol Kalou residents prepare for next week's by-election, there is no denying that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has totally abdicated its responsibility. Kenyans have been treated to videos showing what most reasonable people would call blatant vote buying.

Cabinet Secretaries, ostensibly not supposed to engage in overt partisan politics (Chapter Six of the Constitution), are out campaigning. Instances of violence and voter intimation have been alleged. Again, a lot of these incidences have been captured on video.