Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioner Dr. Alutalala Mukhwana/FILE
IEBC Commissioner Dr Alutalala Mukwhana has mounted a spirited defence of the electoral commission, insisting the new team should not be condemned for the failures of previous administrations as pressure mounts ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Speaking during an interview on NTV, Mukwhana dismissed claims that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) lacks credibility, saying the commissioners who took office barely a year ago deserve to be judged by their own performance.
"I'm only one year here. Whose vote have I stolen?" he posed.
Mukwhana said IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon, Commissioner Fahima Arafat and the rest of the team were being unfairly burdened by the legacy of past commissions.
"We are paying for the sins of our fathers, not our own sins. Kenyans must be kind to us and give us a chance," he said.
His remarks come as the commission faces growing scrutiny over its preparedness to conduct a credible 2027 General Election. Besides compiling a credible voter register and overseeing by-elections, the IEBC has recently come under fire following election-related violence and allegations of voter bribery.
In the upcoming Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election set for Thursday, July 16, rival political camps have accused each other of influencing voters with cash, government-branded mattresses and gas cylinders, raising fresh concerns over the integrity of the electoral process.
Although investigations into such offences fall under other state agencies, much of the criticism has been directed at the IEBC.
Mukwhana, however, maintained that the commission cannot be blamed for violence during campaigns or elections.
"People say IEBC should stop violence. That is not our mandate. Our responsibility is to conduct and supervise elections. Security is the responsibility of the police and other agencies," he said.
He noted that since the new commissioners assumed office, the IEBC has successfully conducted 32 by-elections, with only two ending up in court.
According to Mukwhana, none of the petitions found the commission guilty of electoral malpractice, with the main issues raised relating to election violence rather than the conduct of the polls.
He said the IEBC works within a multi-agency framework that includes the National Police Service, the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC), the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and other institutions to support peaceful elections.
Mukwhana said the commission's mandate is to prepare and supervise elections, train polling officials, ensure election materials are delivered safely and declare results that reflect the will of voters.
With political temperatures expected to rise as the country heads towards the 2027 General Election, Mukwhana said the IEBC is ready to be held accountable for its own record—but not for mistakes committed before the current team took office.
"We should be judged on what we do, not on our history," he said.
