Opposition Demands Full Disclosure from IEBC Ahead of November By-Elections

A file of the opposition leaders

The United Opposition has issued a fresh list of demands to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), accusing the electoral body of breaching constitutional provisions and failing to meet standards of transparency.

In a letter addressed to the Commission, the Opposition insisted that the disclosures were necessary to safeguard electoral justice ahead of the 24 by-elections scheduled for November 27.

It asked the IEBC to make public all minutes of plenary sessions and committee meetings held since the swearing-in of the current officeholders, as well as staff meetings dating back to January 2022.

The Opposition also demanded full records of deliberations on the upcoming by-elections, including the criteria used to select staff supervising each poll.

In addition, it called for the release of all contracts signed with service providers, especially firms supplying or managing election technology.

A particular focus of the demands was the Commission’s relationship with Smartmatic, the company that supplied the Kenya Integrated Elections Management System (KIEMS) kits for the 2022 polls.

The Opposition asked for all documents relating to Smartmatic and any other technology consultants or suppliers including procurement records, due diligence reports, evaluations, audits, and technical assessments of their competency both in Kenya and abroad.

“This includes procurement processes, evaluations, audits, minutes of relevant meetings, and assessments of their suitability both locally and internationally,” the letter noted.

The Opposition further pressed the IEBC to disclose its assessment of Smartmatic’s performance in past elections, including compliance with constitutional and legal standards.

It questioned whether the Commission withheld information from the Supreme Court and Raila Odinga regarding access to the National Tallying Centre servers during the 2022 presidential petition.

On election materials, the Opposition asked for full transparency on contracts for ballot papers, result forms, and other supplies.

It demanded tender records, procurement procedures, contract variations, and the legal authority behind any amendments to existing agreements.

The demands also extend to voter registration, with calls for the release of voter registers, identification processes, procurement plans, and performance reports from 2022 to date.

The Opposition wants the number of gazetted polling centres and polling stations for the November by-elections disclosed in full, complete with geolocation data.

It also pressed for clarity on how the voter register is audited, asking IEBC to explain the criteria, safeguards used to preserve its integrity, and the maximum number of times the register can be subjected to an audit without compromising its authenticity.