Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has warned the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) against mishandling preparations for the 2027 General Election, saying the country’s stability and democratic future will depend heavily on the credibility of the electoral process.
Speaking during a wedding ceremony in Garissa, Duale urged IEBC chairman Erastus Ethekon and commissioners to strictly uphold the Constitution and ensure transparency, fairness and accountability in all decisions ahead of the polls.
“I want to ask the current IEBC chairman and his commissioners: the stability and security of this country are in your hands. The democratic values of our country are in your hands. This is about how you prepare for the next general election,” Duale said.
He said the commission must pay particular attention to electoral and procurement decisions, warning that mistakes could undermine public confidence and expose the country to political instability.
“Please, do not play around with the democratic values and stability of our country. The responsibility of ensuring a credible presidential election cannot be shifted to other institutions,” he said.
Duale stressed that the IEBC chairperson carries the constitutional responsibility of declaring the outcome of a presidential election.
“The IEBC chairperson is the chief returning officer of the presidential election. It is not a function of the Chief Justice. It is not a function of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. It is not a function of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission. It is not even a function of the Inspector General of Police,” he said.
The CS invoked Kenya’s disputed 2007 presidential election as a warning of what can happen when confidence in an electoral process collapses.
He recalled being at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre during the tense tallying period before the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK), then chaired by Samuel Kivuitu, declared Mwai Kibaki the winner.
“I was at KICC with President William Ruto when they switched off the lights,” Duale said. “That night, Kibaki was sworn in. When the lights came back on, there was a president – and you know what happened. There was post-election violence.”
The disputed election triggered widespread violence in which more than 1,000 people were killed and hundreds of thousands displaced before international mediation resulted in a coalition government.
Duale’s remarks come as IEBC faces increasing political scrutiny over preparations for the 2027 election, including the procurement of technology to manage the polls.
Former Deputy President and Democracy for Citizens Party leader Rigathi Gachagua has repeatedly questioned the commission’s independence and raised concerns over the planned procurement of the Integrated Elections Management System (IEMS).
Gachagua has alleged that the procurement process is being structured to favour South Korean technology company Miru Systems. He has also questioned the suitability of the proposed technology while voicing support for Smartmatic, which has previously provided election technology services in Kenya.
IEBC has rejected the allegations.
In a response issued on August 27, Ethekon said no company had been awarded the IEMS tender and denied claims that the outcome of the procurement process had already been predetermined.
The commission said tender documents were published on August 11, with specifications designed to be generic and performance-based to allow qualified companies to compete.
IEBC also said the procurement process had been temporarily halted following requests for review before the Public Procurement Administrative Review Board.
Ethekon has separately challenged Gachagua to provide evidence supporting allegations that politicians bought him a house to influence his decisions.
IEBC maintains that it is prepared to face legitimate scrutiny but has cautioned political leaders against making unsubstantiated claims that could erode public confidence in the electoral process ahead of the 2027 vote.
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