National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula has challenged the newly reconstituted Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to urgently restore the public’s eroded trust, warning that failure to do so could drag the country into yet another fiercely contested and potentially divisive election in 2027.

Revisiting the divisions that often follow contested elections, Wetang’ula urged the commission to conduct itself with utmost integrity to protect its reputation and avoid any semblance of bad behavior.

“The Kenyan people expect from you nothing short of impartiality, integrity, professionalism, and unwavering commitment to the constitutional mandate bestowed upon the Commission,” Wetangula said.

“In an era where credible electoral processes underpin political stability and National Development, the public looks to safeguard the sanctity of their vote and uphold the highest standards of transparency and accountability,” he added.

The Speaker made the remarks during a meeting where he, together with a section of the parliamentary leadership, formally congratulated the new commission, which took office just two weeks ago.

He underscored that the commission must uphold the principles expected of an electoral body as the “cornerstone of free, fair, credible, and verifiable elections.”

“Kindly avoid any temptation to act as representatives of particular communities. You are the electoral commission for the Republic of Kenya. Regardless of where you come from or which community you belong to, your duty is to serve all Kenyans equally and fairly,” the Speaker emphasised.

The poll’s body takes office at a time when its in-tray is already packed with urgent constitutional responsibilities and a demanding workload.

These include resolving the long-delayed boundary delimitation exercise, which has already missed its constitutional deadlines; auditing and cleaning up the voter register to remove deceased voters; carrying out comprehensive voter registration and education; and conducting pending by-elections. 

In addition, the commission must intensify preparations for the 2027 general election.

“There is no time for excuses; it is time for action, and your tray is full. Parliament will not micromanage the commission. You are an independent institution, and our role is to appropriate funds, provide oversight, and audit and this we shall do,” the Speaker declared. 

Leader of the majority Party Kimani Ichung’wah and Kikuyu legislator urged the commission to focus on ensuring they were adequately prepared for the 2027 polls that are less than 2 years away.

Alego Usonga MP Samuel Atandi, who chairs the Budget and Appropriations Committee, acknowledged that they were committed to ensuring continuous funding of the commission to minimize instances of budgetary shortfalls in the run-up to preparations for the election, as IEBC has requested Ksh. 64 billion to carry out the 2027 general election as well as the upcoming by-elections.

“The cost of elections in Kenya is extremely high; you must review the budget and find ways of bringing it down because we are also not in a very good fiscal space,” said Atandi.