Also known as: IEBC Chairperson Erastus Edung Ethekon · IEBC boss · IEBC Chairman Erastus Edung Ethekon · IEBC Chair Ethekon · Chair Ethekon · Chairman Ethekon · Mr Ethekon
Chairperson of Kenya's Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, leading 2027 election preparations amid disputes over electoral integrity and postponement threats.
… Following the walkout, the lawyers demanded an audience with IEBC Chairperson Erastus Edung Ethekon, insisting they would not participate in what they described as an improperly constituted and hostile process. …
… The commission reiterated that campaigns must cease 48 hours before polling day and strictly within the legally defined hours between 6 am and 6 pm.IEBC Chairman Erastus Edung Ethekon when he appeared before the selection panel in Nairobi, on March 25, 2025. …
… e movement within the voter database ahead of the 2027 General Election. “As the ECVR draws to a close, and with four (4) days remaining, we urge all eligible voters who have not yet registered to seize this opportunity to enlist as voters,” IEBC Chairperson Erastus Edung Ethekon …
IEBC adds 505,344 new voters in one week amid late registration rush By Ian Omondi April 24, 2026 08:08 (EAT) Add as a Preferred Source on Google Follow us Follow on Whatsapp Follow on Google Follow on Twitter IEBC Chairperson Erastus Edung Ethekon during a past breakfast meeting …
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission rejected allegations of political interference, corruption, and voter suppression in its 2027 election preparations, terming the claims false and unsubstantiated. The commission challenged Democracy for Citizens Party leader Rigathi Gachagua to provide evidence of claims that politicians purchased a house for the IEBC chairperson to influence him.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission rejected allegations of political interference, corruption, and voter suppression in its 2027 election preparations, terming the claims false and unsubstantiated. The commission challenged Democracy for Citizens Party leader Rigathi Gachagua to provide evidence of claims that politicians purchased a house for the IEBC chairperson to influence him.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has formally gazetted the commencement of the election period for the August 10, 2027 polls, publishing Kenya Gazette Notice No. 13497 to bring the Electoral Code of Conduct and Election Offences Act into force, setting out a roadmap governing voter registration, political party activities, candidate nominations, campaigns and election offences.
Kenya's Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission targets approximately 28.5 million registered voters for the 2027 General Election, up from 22.1 million in 2022. As of August 20, 2026, 2.9 million Kenyans have registered since the Continuous Voter Registration exercise began in September 2025.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has warned President William Ruto that Kenya's 2027 General Election must be held as constitutionally scheduled, saying Kenyans will resist any attempt to use violence, gangs or political instability as a pretext to delay the polls. Gachagua accused the administration of creating conditions that could justify postponing the election and called on the IEBC to demonstrate preparedness and engage opposition parties.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has launched two major international tenders—one for an Integrated Elections Management System and KIEMS kits for biometric voter identification and results transmission, and another for ballot papers, tactile ballot folders, voter registers, and result-declaration forms—with delivery scheduled before the August 2027 General Election.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has gazetted new Election Campaign Financing Regulations for the 2027 general elections, setting the expenditure period from at least six months before the election to fourteen days after, and requiring candidates and political parties to appoint an authorized person to manage contributions and expenditures.
With the constitutional election date set for 10 August 2025, President William Ruto is conducting an electoral charm offensive through State House delegations, though an opinion writer suggests such retreats from the campaign field may signal political weakness.
Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has warned the IEBC against threatening to postpone the 2027 General Election, questioning the legal basis for remarks made by IEBC Chairperson Erastus Edung Ethekon, who previously stated that Kenya cannot conduct credible elections in an environment marked by hate speech, political intolerance and ethnic incitement. Kalonzo argued that under the Elections Act, the IEBC can only postpone elections in specific constituencies, counties or wards under circumstances such as a serious breach of peace or natural disaster.
The National Council on the Administration of Justice has reactivated its Ad Hoc Committee on Election Preparedness to coordinate the justice sector ahead of the 2027 General Election, following IEBC briefings on the electoral roadmap. The committee, chaired by the IEBC Chairperson, will focus on enhancing justice-sector readiness and inter-agency collaboration throughout the electoral cycle.
The IEBC said voting in the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election proceeded smoothly and peacefully on Thursday, with voter turnout reaching 38.2 per cent by 1 p.m., and cautioned political leaders against disrupting polling stations and tallying centres ahead of vote counting.
Murang'a Senator Joe Nyutu has accused the government of intimidation in the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election and faulted the IEBC for bias and failure to enforce the electoral code of conduct, citing alleged voter bribery and intimidation in previous by-elections in Malava, Mbeere North and Narok Town Ward.
Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua has written to the IEBC alleging that a July 13 meeting was used to plan electoral malpractice in the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election scheduled for July 16, claiming select UDA officials and government officers met to influence the election outcome.
Rigathi Gachagua, leader of the Democratic Party for Citizens (DCP), has accused the IEBC of bias and demanded assurances that Thursday's Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election will be free, fair and credible. He cited alleged selective enforcement of electoral laws in favour of the UDA and claimed senior government officials have campaigned for the UDA candidate without sanctions.
The Law Society of Kenya has opposed calls to postpone the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election over alleged campaign irregularities, arguing that voters should not be punished for candidates' misconduct. LSK President Charles Kanjama said the IEBC and enforcement agencies should investigate and prosecute offenders under existing electoral laws rather than deny voters their constitutional right to elect a representative.
Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu has cautioned the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission against partisanship and procedural failures ahead of the 2027 General Election, warning that Kenya could face serious consequences if the electoral process loses public trust. Mwilu emphasized that the credibility of the next election will depend on the commission's ability to manage disputes fairly, impartially and within the law, and that any perception of bias or institutional failure could have far-reaching consequences for national stability.
Senior Counsel Philip Murgor cautioned IEBC Chairperson Erastus Edung Ethekon that the commission's leadership bears responsibility for safeguarding Kenya's electoral integrity, warning against repeating the events of the disputed 2007 General Election and urging the commission to resist political pressure and uphold the law.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has warned it may postpone or cancel the Ol Kalou by-election scheduled for the following Thursday due to widespread voter bribery, violence, and one reported death. IEBC Chairperson Erastus Edung Ethekon announced the commission may disqualify candidates found culpable of electoral offences and criticized the use of state machinery to influence voters.
Lawyers representing Kipipiri MP Wanjiku Muhia walked out of an IEBC Electoral Code of Conduct Enforcement Committee hearing, citing bias, procedural unfairness, and a predetermined outcome. The legal team sought an adjournment to seek High Court interpretation of relevant procedures, but the committee declined and proceeded without the defendant and her counsel.
Legislators have accused the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) of irregular registration and transfer of voters, raising concerns about the integrity of the voter register ahead of next year's General Election.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has declared itself ready to conduct upcoming by-elections and warned candidates against engaging in electoral malpractices, including unlawful campaigning outside stipulated hours. IEBC Vice Chair Fahima Araphat said the commission has deployed election materials and trained personnel, and will take action against offenders, including denying clearance to candidates who breach electoral rules.
Youth turned up in large numbers at voter registration centres across the country on the final day of the IEBC's Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration exercise, with last-minute rushes in areas like Kahawa West and Garissa Township Constituency.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has registered 1,876,274 new voters in just under a month, with 505,344 added in the past week alone as the Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration exercise approaches its April 28 closure. Nairobi County leads registrations with 209,965 new voters, followed by Kiambu and Nakuru.