Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairperson Erastus Ethekon has assured Kenyans that the electoral body is prepared to conduct the upcoming 2027 general elections.
Speaking during a stakeholder engagement forum held on Wednesday February 4, 2026, Ethekon outlined the commission’s plan to develop a comprehensive blueprint that will define the roles played by key partners including security agencies, media, religious communities and civil society, during the 2027 elections.
The IEBC chairperson also revealed that the appointment of the new Commission was received with mixed reactions.
“When we got the job, some people said we were in trouble. Others told us, ‘we are praying for you,’ because they did not know whether to congratulate us or not,” Ethekon said.
“We want to have a blueprint that will articulate and include the roles that each one of us will play in the next General Election. What role will the media play? What about religious communities, security agencies, civil society and other stakeholders?” he said.
Ethekon highlighted that IEBC’s mandate is firmly rooted in the Constitution, emphasizing that the commission’s primary role is to conduct free, fair, and transparent elections that reflect the will of the people.
“As Kenyans, we gave ourselves the Bible, the Constitution 2010. In terms of hierarchy, the Constitution is the supreme law, and it clearly states that sovereignty belongs to the people,” he said.
He reiterated that the authority of IEBC is derived from the Kenyan people, positioning the Commission as the servant of the electorate rather than a self-serving body.
“The people of Kenya donated that power. There is a way the governance architecture was designed, and whatever we are doing as IEBC, we are doing it on behalf of the people,” Ethekon said, adding that elections are the only mechanism through which citizens exercise their sovereignty.
