By Mandere Onyinkwa
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has announced that it will adopt a phased approach to reviewing constituency and ward boundaries.
The decision is shaped by constitutional requirements, judicial challenges, and the fast-approaching 2027 General Election.
The Commission explained that boundary delimitation is central to Kenya’s democracy, ensuring equitable representation by aligning electoral units with population changes.
However, several obstacles have slowed progress, including the absence of commissioners between January 2023 and July 2025, which stalled key policy decisions, and the invalidation of census data for Garissa, Wajir, and Mandera counties, leaving IEBC without legally binding figures to guide its work.
Litigation has also complicated matters, “with petitions filed to compel the Commission to complete reviews before the next election, while the Supreme Court ruled that the Secretariat could not proceed with delimitation in the absence of commissioners, further delaying the process.”
The Commission emphasized that competing priorities such as by-elections, voter registration, and preparations for the 2027 polls make it impractical to conduct a full delimitation exercise within the constitutional timelines.
Article 89 requires that any boundary review intended to apply to a general election be completed at least twelve months before that election, a deadline that is now impossible to meet.
After seeking advice from the Attorney General and receiving an advisory opinion from the Supreme Court, IEBC concluded that “a phased approach is the most legally defensible and constitutionally sound path forward.”
This means that preparatory activities such as geo-data collection, validation, and capacity building will continue, but no constituency or ward boundaries will be altered before the 2027 General Election.
Substantive delimitation will take place after the polls, using validated national census data once the courts resolve the ongoing disputes.
The Commission also addressed public expectations that the number of constituencies might be increased, clarifying that the Constitution caps constituencies at 290 and wards at 1,450.
Any review will therefore focus only on names and boundaries unless Parliament amends the law.
Chairperson Erastus Edung Ethekon underscored that the phased approach reflects IEBC’s commitment to constitutionalism, institutional integrity, and democratic legitimacy, assuring Kenyans that the credibility of the 2027 General Election will not be compromised.
The Commission pledged to share detailed work plans and timelines with stakeholders, engage Parliament and the Treasury on resource needs, and maintain structured public participation throughout the process.