‘The Commissioners Are Not Prepared For 2027 Elections!’ – Former IEBC CEO Claims
The former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) highlighted concerns regarding the integrity of the 2027 general elections.
This comes after he asserted that the existing commissioners who are being interviewed are unprepared to conduct general elections.
During a discussion about the country’s election on Spice FM on Tuesday, Oswago claimed that the commissioners do not have enough time to prepare for a by-election, let alone a general election.
“If you ask me, never should you ask an individual to run an election who has not had a minimum of two years of preparation, particularly as a commissioner,” Oswago revealed.
“We have done this before several times in Kenya and have always failed.”
James Oswago: It requires 2 years for a newly appointed commissioner to be able to run an election. The biggest problem is being prepared and equipped to run an election within the short period. #TheSituationRoom
— SpiceFM (@SpiceFMKE) April 22, 2025
Follow our live conversation on YouTube: https://t.co/heNK2o79ds pic.twitter.com/YX8pQ9MQ78
According to Oswago, it takes at least two years for a newly appointed commissioner to be properly inducted and qualified to run elections.
“An election is run by a process of apprenticeship and incrementalism, you learn by doing the job, so picking up a newbie who has never run an election and then asking them to do so the next day is not the way it is done,” he further explained.
The former CEO indicated that one of the key reasons why Kenyan elections fail is a lack of preparation.
According to Oswago, despite having skilled technical staff below the directing level who can deal with technical concerns, the commissioners are required by law to provide leadership, oversight, strategy, and supervision.
With less than two years until the general election, Oswago said that Kenya should prioritize securing a credible and legitimate 2027 election rather than going into it unprepared.
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His comments come just three days before the end of the ongoing interviews for the six IEBC commissioner positions.
The interviews, which have been ongoing for the greater part of April, are set to conclude on Friday, April 25.
The panel had shortlisted 11 candidates for the chairperson position and 105 for commission member positions.
Following the IEBC commissioner interviews, the selection panel, led by Nelson Makanda, will assess the candidates’ experience, honesty, and strategic vision.
The nominated names would subsequently be sent to President William Ruto for final approval and gazettement.
‘The Commissioners Are Not Prepared For 2027 Elections!’ – Former IEBC CEO Claims
