The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has its work cut out for it, with the next General Election under a year away. It is the interest of the whole country that chairperson Erastus Edung Ethekon and his team adequately and comprehensively prepare for the poll set for August 10 next year.
After all, they have repeatedly assured the country of their determination to impartially manage the coming election so that the voters’ true verdicts can emerge. It will not be easy, but it is essential and must be done, and that is the IEBC’s mandate.
The agency has projected that at least 9,000 additional polling stations are required. A paper presented to Parliament indicates the need to increase the number of polling stations from the 46,229 used in the 2022 General Election to 55,393, as the electoral agency targets to register 6.3 million new voters.
Mr Ethekon and the six commissioners at the helm of the agency since July last year are making arrangements to enable fellow Kenyans to freely elect their leaders. The IEBC is under strict scrutiny by Parliament and courts. Several petitions have been filed seeking to block the commission from, for example, altering security safeguards on ballot papers.
The chairperson says the need to bring polling stations closer to the voters is a key consideration. The IEBC also wants the number of voters per station increased from 700 to 1,000. However, the National Assembly’s Justice and Legal Affairs Committee is opposed to a proposal to amend Section 38A of the Elections Act, which says the number of voters per polling section must not exceed 700.
While it is important to make it easier for more people to vote, the IEBC must ensure that only eligible Kenyans and not foreigners are registered. Kenyans abroad, who are keen to vote, must seek registration in embassies or consulates and not illegal agencies. Everything should be done transparently to ensure free and fair elections.
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