Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairperson Erastus Ethekon has been challenged over the country's electoral preparedness after saying the commission requires a peaceful environment to successfully conduct elections.
Speaking on Monday, August 3, Ethekon said the electoral body cannot organize elections in an atmosphere characterized by instability.
"IEBC cannot hold elections in an environment that is full of incitement; division, violence, chaos, and anarchy! We need a conducive environment for us to hold a peaceful, free, fair, and credible election," he said.
Ethekon's remarks prompted a sharp response from Kirinyaga Woman Rep Njeri Maina, who said the IEBC chair should not repeatedly suggest that elections may not be conducted.
She argued that if he is unwilling to carry out the commission's constitutional mandate, he should step aside.
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"If the chairperson of IEBC is a petulant child, he can quit! He can’t keep threatening not to conduct elections.
"That would be a clear subversion of the will of the people, and no one would have the power to constitutionally hold office beyond the 5 year stipulated timeline," she stated.
This comes days after IEBC dismissed claims of a plan to ban the live streaming of the 2027 election results.
Speaking on Thursday, July 30, Ethekon clarified that the Commission had no intention whatsoever of blocking the media from publishing results as they stream in.
He stated that the claims were misleading and that the electoral body did not condone any attempts to interfere with the delivery of a free, fair and transparent election.
Ethekon added that IEBC had not pushed for any legislation on the streaming of the election results to be changed in either House of Parliament; the Senate, or the National Assembly.
"As IEBC, we want to state categorically that we have not made any such decision, nor have we made any proposals to Parliament to try and stop live streaming.
"This Commission stands for transparency and accountability. We will be the last people to make any decision or any proposals to stifle the freedom of the media to check what we are doing, including livestreaming of the election process," he stated.
Ethekon added that the Commission had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the media, in which they agreed that the Fourth Estate would play an integral role in ensuring that the election is transparent.
"If anything, we converged with the Kenya Media Sector Working Group, and we signed an MoU that allows us to collaborate with the media for it to scrutinise and work with us to ensure that we educate Kenyans on all the processes that we are undertaking as a Commission, including the livestreaming process," he added.
