EU, poll observers warn of risks in slow election planning

Concerns are mounting over the slow preparations for the 2027 elections, with the European Union and election observers warning that delays could undermine the democratic process.

EU Ambassador to Kenya Henriette Geiger expressed worry about the sluggish pace of election planning, noting that while the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) managed to conduct the 2022 polls under pressure, a repeat of the same rushed process should be avoided.

“There is enough concern at the rate of preparation for the 2027 election, given the short time before it. Though the commission was able to pull it off last time, the prudent principle is having enough time for adequate preparation to secure the democratic process and ensure stability of the country,” Geiger said during a seminar of election observers in Nairobi.

The event, hosted by the Election Observer Group (ELOG), brought together electoral experts from across the continent.

Geiger pointed out that with no IEBC commissioners currently in office, key tasks such as boundary delimitation and pending by-elections remain unaddressed, leaving a significant portion of the population without representation.

“Boundary delimitation has not been done, and a handful of by-elections have not been done, among other key milestones that the commission needs to do as custodian of a democratic process,” she said.

ELOG Head Mulle Musau stressed that rebuilding public confidence in the electoral body should be the top priority for the new commissioners once appointed.

“For me, the most pressing task for the new commission is to build back public confidence in its processes and capacity to deliver a credible election, starting with the pending by-elections that have had millions of Kenyans unrepresented,” Musau said.

He emphasised the need for a thorough cleaning of the voter register to eliminate doubts about its credibility.

“All the concerns recently raised by Royal Media Services Chairman SK Macharia on the register of voters have been consistently raised by ELOG since 2012, but no one pays attention,” he noted.

“We want the new commission to start by cleaning the current register and put up a new one that is above board, available for inspection and can guarantee a credible and predictable process but an unpredictable outcome.”

Election observers also raised concerns over the government’s failure to implement their recommendations, stating that this undermines efforts to improve the electoral process.

“We have noted that observers tend to make similar recommendations from time to time because they are not acted upon and hence no one pays attention in organising the polls. Kenyans should know that observers are their eyes and ears in the process and should be supported and have their voices heard,” Musau said.

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