IEBC opens accreditation for media, observers ahead of upcoming by-elections
There are currently 23 pending by-elections, comprising six National Assembly seats, one Senate seat, and 16 Member of County Assembly (MCA) positions.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has announced the opening of its accreditation process for organisations seeking to serve as voter education providers, election observers, or media practitioners in the 2025/2026 electoral cycle.
In a public notice, the Commission invited applications from eligible organisations ahead of planned by-elections and other electoral activities scheduled for the new financial year.
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The Commission called on interested organisations to submit their applications online via the IEBC Accreditation Management System (AMS), with the deadline set for Friday, September 5, 2025, at 5:00 p.m.
Accreditation applies to upcoming by-elections and other electoral activities scheduled within the financial year. All applicants are required to have a stable internet connection to complete the submission process.
“We invite eligible organisations to apply for accreditation as voter education providers, election observers, or media practitioners for the upcoming by-elections and electoral activities in the 2025/2026 financial year,” the Commission said, adding that “applicants must ensure they have stable internet access when submitting their details online.”
Organisations applying to be voter education providers are further required to collect a Physical Address Authentication Form from their respective County Election Manager’s office. The form must be duly filled and uploaded alongside other mandatory documents to the AMS portal.
The IEBC said it will conduct mandatory training sessions for all accredited organisations. Upon completion, participants will be issued accreditation certificates, official identification badges, and other essential support materials required to perform their roles effectively.
There are currently 23 pending by-elections, comprising six National Assembly seats, one Senate seat, and 16 Member of County Assembly (MCA) positions. The vacancies have resulted from the deaths of elected leaders and court-ordered nullifications following election petitions.
IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon said preparations for the mini polls are already at an advanced stage, with the Commission targeting to conclude all the by-elections before the end of the year.
“For the by-elections, we will announce the date and time in a week’s time. We should finalise the by-elections by the end of this year,” Ethekon said during a media briefing on Wednesday.
The delays in holding some of the by-elections were largely attributed to the IEBC’s leadership vacuum, which rendered the commission unable to function fully.
The Constitution, under Article 101, requires that a by-election for a National Assembly seat be conducted within 90 days of the official declaration of a vacancy.
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