The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has said it will not conduct a full review of constituency and ward boundaries before the 2027 General Election, citing court cases over census data, limited time, and competing election-related priorities.
Instead, the commission said it will focus on technical and preparatory work, with actual changes to electoral boundaries set to take place after the 2027 polls.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon said a boundary review requires at least two years and must be completed 12 months before a general election, meaning it should have been finalised by August 10, 2026, for the 2027 polls, a timeline the commission now says is unattainable.
Ethekon said the commission has resolved to adopt a phased boundary review, warning that conducting a comprehensive exercise currently could threaten the integrity and credibility of the 2027 General Election.
“IEBC has resolved to undertake the review of Constituency and Ward boundaries through a phased approach, following a comprehensive assessment of constitutional requirements, judicial guidance, resource considerations, and the national electoral calendar. This decision reflects the Commission’s commitment to upholding constitutionalism while safeguarding the integrity and preparedness of the electoral process,” he stated.
The commission also cited court cases affecting census data in Garissa, Wajir, and Mandera counties, where the High Court invalidated the 2019 census results over procedural flaws. The Court of Appeal later ordered that the matter remain in status quo pending determination of an appeal, rendering the data unusable for official purposes.
IEBC noted that the absence of such data continues to hinder the delimitation process, which is key in determining population quotas and publishing preliminary reports on boundary reviews.
The commission also sought to manage public expectations, noting that growing political pressure for the creation of new constituencies cannot be accommodated under the current constitutional framework.
“We wish to inform the public of the constitutional limitations under Article 89(1), which caps the number of constituencies at 290. Any review, especially in the absence of constitutional changes, will not increase or decrease the 290 constituencies but will focus on reviewing their names and boundaries only,” said Ethekon.
The commission further pointed to a legal conflict between the Constitution and the County Governments Act on the number of wards, a matter it said Parliament must resolve.
“Section 26 of the County Governments Act, 2012, limits the number of wards to 1,450, contrary to the Constitution, which confers upon the Commission the mandate to periodically review the number, names, and boundaries of electoral units. The conflict between statute law and the Constitution requires resolution by Parliament.”
