Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Commissioner Alutalala Mukhwana has warned that the sustained campaign of attacks against the electoral body risks creating conditions where the outcome of the 2027 General Election is rejected by all sides, regardless of who wins.

Speaking on Wednesday, July 15, Mukhwana blamed politicians for making unverified claims about the IEBC that have significantly eroded public trust and confidence in the commission.

He argued that it is in every Kenyan’s interest for the IEBC to function effectively, and that undermining it serves no one.

“If we do not create and sustain and build momentum towards rebuilding the trust and confidence of Kenyans in the IEBC, this is the scenario: that when finally IEBC will preside over these elections in 2027, the ground would have been prepared for rejection of the results, either way. And the result would be that whoever wins will not be accepted, and whoever loses will not accept,” he said during an interview on NTV.

Mukhwana warned that what happens in the pre-election period has a direct bearing on how the election itself is perceived and how its outcome is received.

He assured that the commission would do everything within its power to ensure electoral rules and regulations are followed.

The Commissioner also called out public officials engaging in electoral misconduct, saying their actions have made the IEBC’s work harder by reinforcing the public perception that the commission is aligned with the government rather than operating independently.

He further urged Kenyans to reject politicians who deliberately fuel tribal divisions and fragmentation, arguing that withdrawing their support for such leaders is the most effective way to force them to change their behaviour.