The United Opposition on Wednesday held talks with officials of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), raising sharp concerns over the credibility, independence, and preparedness of the electoral body ahead of the 2027 General Election.
In a statement issued after the meeting on Wednesday, Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka said the opposition conveyed what he described as a growing national perception that the commission lacks independence from the executive.
“We made it clear that, in its current form, the IEBC is widely perceived as a William Ruto commission,” Kalonzo said.
“This is not just our position as the opposition, but a growing national perception, and we challenged the Commission to prove otherwise through its actions.”
The opposition leaders questioned whether the commission could deliver a free, fair and credible election unless decisive steps are taken to restore public confidence.
They argued that trust in the electoral process is fundamental to political stability and democratic legitimacy.
A major point of contention was the procurement of the Kenya Integrated Elections Management System (KIEMS) kits.
Kalonzo said the opposition expressed strong dissatisfaction with how the process was being handled and warned against the involvement of controversial vendors.
“We stated clearly that we do not want Smartmatic, a company associated with election irregularities in multiple countries, anywhere near the systems for the 2027 General Election,” he said, adding that technology used in elections must inspire confidence across the political divide.
The opposition also raised concerns over the continued tenure of IEBC Chief Executive Officer Marjan Hussein Marjan, questioning his suitability to oversee critical electoral processes.
According to the former Vice President, the opposition outlined several reasons for its lack of confidence in the CEO’s leadership, though specific details were not disclosed in the statement.
“We raised concerns over the continued stay of the IEBC CEO, Marjan Hussein Marjan, outlining the reasons for our lack of confidence in his leadership,” he said.
The meeting comes amid renewed debate over the readiness of the IEBC following recent appointments to the commission and ongoing preparations for the next general election cycle.
Opposition politicians have increasingly called for reforms aimed at strengthening transparency, accountability and institutional independence.
Kalonzo said the opposition expects the commission to act decisively to address the issues raised, warning that failure to do so would further erode public trust.
“We expect transparency, accountability and decisive action if public trust in the electoral process is to be restored,” he said.
The IEBC had not issued an immediate response to the concerns raised by the opposition at the time of publication.
