The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has rejected allegations of corruption, political interference, and voter suppression ahead of the 2027 General Election, insisting that its procurement processes and management of the voters’ register are being conducted within the law.
The electoral agency said claims circulating in mainstream and social media followed statements made by Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua during a press briefing on Wednesday, August 26, 2026.
IEBC Chairperson Erastus Edung Ethekon, in a statement to newsrooms, said the allegations were unsubstantiated and warned against attempts to undermine public confidence in the electoral process.
The Commission said its members were appointed through a public process that was subsequently subjected to court scrutiny and found lawful.
“Having been properly constituted,” Ethekon said, the Commission remains focused on its constitutional mandate and owes allegiance to the Constitution and the people of Kenya.
Ethekon also challenged claims that politicians had purchased a house for him in an attempt to influence him. He described the allegation as “unfortunate, unfair, and unsubstantiated,” noting that the alleged value of the property had shifted from Sh80 million to Sh200 million.
He challenged Gachagua to provide evidence of the alleged transaction, including the location of the property, sale and transfer documents, payment receipts, and details of the seller and purchaser, and submit them to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) for investigation.
Ethekon urged political leaders with complaints against the commissions’ officials to use established constitutional and legal channels rather than making unsupported accusations.
He confirmed that the procurement of election technology and ballot papers has temporarily been halted following a request for review filed before the Public Procurement Administrative Review Board.
The affected tenders include Tender No. IEBC/OIT/01/2026-2027 for the supply, installation, testing, commissioning, support, and maintenance of the Integrated Elections Management System (IEMS), hardware, and accessories.
Also affected is Tender No. IEBC/OIT/02/2026-2027 covering the supply of ballot papers, tactile folders, the Register of Voters, and statutory election result declaration forms.
Ethekon said the technology tender was advertised publicly, with the relevant documents uploaded to the IEBC website and the Public Procurement Information Portal on August 11, 2026.
He dismissed claims that a company had already been selected, saying the procurement process was still at its initial stages and no award had been made.
According to Ethekon, the technical specifications are generic and performance-based, allowing all qualified suppliers to compete.
He said the specifications were informed by Supreme Court directives, lessons learnt from previous elections, and feedback from field officers.
“All final decisions will be reached after rigorous, open, and transparent processes are concluded in accordance with procurement laws,” Ethekon said.
He further assured bidders that the process would be conducted in accordance with Article 227 of the Constitution and the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act.
Ethekon warned potential bidders against using political connections or commentary to influence the tender process.
The Chairperson dismissed allegations that voter registration data could be manipulated or shared with external parties during system migration.
Ethekon said the Register of Voters remains under its exclusive custody, and there is no plan or directive to suppress voters from any part of the country.
He explained that voter registration involves several stages designed to ensure the final register is accurate, comprehensive, and credible.
These include in-person registration, verification of identity and eligibility, and collection of biographical information and biometric data such as fingerprints and facial images.
The data is then transmitted to a central database where automated biometric deduplication is undertaken to identify duplicate registrations, conflicting records, and other anomalies.
Flagged records undergo data cleaning, validation, and adjudication before a single valid record is retained for each voter.
The validated register is subsequently subjected to a 30-day biometric verification exercise, during which voters can confirm their details and raise claims or objections.
An independent audit is then conducted before the register is finalized and certified as the official register to be used in an election.
Ethekon said the elaborate safeguards make it impossible to interfere with the voters’ register without detection.
He said allegations of bribery, predetermined tender awards, and voter suppression were false and potentially harmful to public confidence in Kenya’s constitutional electoral processes.
Ethekon invoked Article 249 of the Constitution, which guarantees the independence of constitutional commissions and protects them from direction or control by any person or authority.
He said its chairperson, vice chairperson, and commissioners would not be intimidated or swayed by what it termed politically motivated allegations.
The Chairperson maintained that IEBC was on course with preparations for the August 10, 2027, General Election and was committed to delivering a free, fair, peaceful, and credible poll.
Ethekon welcomed constructive criticism and accountability but would act against what it described as malicious propaganda, harassment, threats, and intimidation targeting its officials and staff.
He called on citizens, Parliament, civil society, the media, and development partners to participate in safeguarding the integrity of the electoral process.
Ethekon said the Commission’s actions would continue to be guided by the Constitution, electoral laws, and established procurement procedures as the country prepares for the 2027 polls.
By Joseph Ng’ang’a
