The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has identified political goonism and misuse of artificial intelligence as some of the critical emerging threats likely to undermine peace as the country prepares for the 2027 General Elections.
Speaking during a pre-election security assessment meeting in Nyeri, IEBC Commissioner Prof. Francis Aduol said that chaotic party nominations, misuse of social media to spread propaganda and misinformation, and hate speech, as well as alcohol and substance abuse among the youth, were also identified as pressing challenges that could threaten peace during the polls if left unaddressed.
Prof Aduol, however, assured Kenyans that the commission together with security agencies and other stakeholders are working together to detect and contain the threats early enough and ensure that the polls are held in a peaceful environment.
“As IEBC, we consider the most serious threats to the 2027 elections to be goonism, political gangsterism and the misuse of artificial intelligence. And we are hoping that we can be able to bring these under control in time for election 2027 so that we can have peaceful elections,” he said.
The regional consultative round-table was organised by the IEBC, in partnership with the Electoral Law and Governance Institute for Africa (ELGIA) and the Election Security Arrangement Programme (ESAP).
It was convened following Nyeri’s designation as the primary operational base for pre-election coordination activities for Central and Eastern regions.
The meeting aimed to establish a joint security coordination framework ahead of next year’s polls. It brought together national and county government security teams as well as Maendeleo Ya Wanawake Organisation, URAIA, the Judiciary, Boda Boda operators, youth representatives, People with Disability, business community, and faith-based organisations.
Prof. Aduol said that despite the threats, the commission is ready to conduct free, fair, transparent and credible elections come August 2027.
He said early coordination between the IEBC, security agencies, political parties, the Judiciary, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) and other stakeholders would be critical in preventing electoral violence.
“IEBC is ready to conduct free, fair, transparent and credible elections, but we can only do that in an environment that is peaceful, an environment that is secure, and an environment that allows a voter to vote freely. This is the kind of support that we are expecting from Kenyans,” he said.
“We are therefore appealing to Kenyans to help us ensure that we have a peaceful election because at the end of the day if there is violence in the election, it is caused by us, the people, and we are the ones who can bring all of this under control,” he added.
On his part, Nyeri Governor Dr Mutahi Kahiga called for strict enforcement of electoral rules. The governor urged the electoral body to enforce election regulations consistently throughout the campaign period and take early action against candidates who breach the rules.
He warned that failure to intervene early could allow political disputes to escalate into violence, placing unnecessary pressure on institutions such as the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC).
“We want the IEBC to monitor every candidate’s compliance with electoral laws from the beginning to the end. We are waiting to hear the commission ban one or two candidates for breaking the rules.
It has not happened, and we hope the current IEBC will have the courage to do that because unless we enforce laws and rules around the campaigns and election, we are not going to resolve this emotive issue,” he said.
Dr. Kahiga also urged Kenyans to resist attempts by politicians to exploit them to cause violence, stressing that the country would remain beyond the election period.
He at the same time urged the IEBC to treat elections as a continuous process rather than an event confined to polling day.
“Elections are a process, not a one-day event, and one thing IEBC must also tell Kenyans is the country will not end on August 10, so there is no point in destabilising the country because of elections. We have a country to protect. I also want to warn Kenyans against allowing themselves to be used by politicians to cause violence or to fight each other. After elections, these politicians will have a handshake and amicably resolve their differences,” he said.
He further called on police officers to remain independent and follow due process when dealing with election offences and insecurity, saying anyone suspected of breaking the law should be arrested, investigated and prosecuted through the proper legal channels.
“Sometimes I get annoyed whenever I see police officers taking instructions from politicians because that is the biggest mess. What we need to agree on is that the police are an independent service and must take instructions from the appropriate authority. Anyone who commits an election offence or causes insecurity must be arrested, taken through the due legal process and be arraigned in court,” said Dr. Kahiga.
Nyeri County Commissioner, Josephat Biwott, said the county will adopt a multi-agency approach that will see security agencies work closely with other election stakeholders to establish early-warning mechanisms to detect signs of unrest.
He also assured that the authorities would strengthen enforcement of laws governing cybercrimes and elections and ensure that Nyeri residents are accorded a chance to exercise their political rights in a peaceful environment.
“We want to sit as a multi-agency and ask ourselves where we are getting it wrong, and we want to correct it as soon as possible so that people will be responsible for their actions,” said Biwott.
By Wangari Mwangi
