Why Restoring Public Trust in IEBC Starts with Political Maturity: IEBC Official

Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Commissioner Alutalala Mukhwana/ X: ALUTALALA MUKHWANA.

Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Commissioner Alutalala Mukhwana has noted that restoring trust in Kenya’s electoral body will require more than technical reforms saying it demands political maturity, acceptance of results and a cultural shift in how elections are perceived.

Speaking during an interview on NTV on Monday, Mukhwana argued that the commission is often unfairly vilified once results are declared, despite playing its role within the law.

“Burdening IEBC is the history of elections in this country. The second problem is our political leadership, some of them, because every time our political leadership works together, there is peace. IEBC has no problem,” he said.

The commissioner explained that the structure of elections naturally produces more losers than winners, fueling discontent. In the 2022 polls, he noted, 16,105 candidates contested various seats, but only 1,882 emerged victorious.

“If we take 16,105 losers, add their supporters who were loyal, who invested emotionally, who believed them as the Messiah that would deliver them to the Promised Land, just amplify that unhappiness and tell me which one will be prominent in the social space. Will it be the loser’s voice or the winner’s voice?” he posed.

To rebuild trust, Mukhwana said Kenya’s political class must embrace a culture of conceding defeat. He contrasted Kenya’s post-election disputes with Ghana, where losing candidates publicly congratulate winners.

“The Ghanaians have shown us a way. They shake hands and say, yes, you won, you won. But our politicians are yet to accept that whoever has won has clearly won, then shake hands and say, maybe second time,” he remarked.

He added that volatility in Kenya’s politics amplifies negative perceptions of the electoral body, even when its work is credible.

“The problem that IEBC is compounded with because of these perceptions is how our politics are played. It’s volatile,” he said.