The Commission on 19th June, 2025 appeared before the Senate Standing Committee on Justice, Legal Affairs and Human Rights (JLAHRC), which is led by Chairperson, Senator Hillary K. Sigei, CBS, to present the state of preparedness and key electoral reforms ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The Commission was led by Deputy Commission Secretary - Support Services, Obadiah Keitany, MBS who represented the Commission Secretary/CEO, Marjan Hussein Marjan, MBS.
Mr. Keitany expressed gratitude for the opportunity to appear before the Committee and engage on matters of electoral preparedness. He observed that the IEBC, under Article 88(4) of the Constitution of Kenya, is mandated to conduct and supervise elections and referenda. The Commission is also responsible for the delimitation of electoral boundaries as stipulated under Article 89 of the Constitution.
Mr. Keitany enumerated the Commission’s preparedness, particularly on boundary delimitation exercise, legal reforms, voter education and voter registration, risk management, integration of technology in electoral processes and the need for adequate facilitation to enable the Commission carry out its mandate.
The Commission informed the Committee that there are 23 pending by-elections across the country, comprising 1 Senate seat, 6 Members of the National Assembly (MNAs), and 16 County Assembly Ward (CAW) positions. This situation continues to disenfranchise constituents in the affected elective areas, undermining their right to representation and the democratic process.
The Commission reinforced the importance of collaboration and timely support from all arms of government and electoral stakeholders.
A credible election is not the sole responsibility of the Commission—it is a collective effort that demands timely reforms, stakeholder collaboration and adequate resourcing to safeguard the will of the people during the 2027 General Election,” Keitany noted.
The Commission concluded by appealing to the Senate Committee and Parliament to act with urgency in supporting the Commission through adequate budgetary allocations and enactment of relevant election laws, which will be critical in ensuring readiness for the 2027 General Election.
Other stakeholders present in the meeting were: Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP), the National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC), the Elections Observation Group (ELOG), Centre for Multiparty Democracy (CMD) and Electoral Law and Governance Institute of Africa (ELGIA).