Can IEBC’s new technology change Kenya’s electoral story?

Elections in Kenya have long been a test of trust. Since the collapse of the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) in 2007 and the birth of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) under the 2010 Constitution, voters have struggled to place confidence in the body entrusted with safeguarding democracy.

Every election cycle seems to revive the same doubts, especially around voter registration, transparency, and credibility.

As Kenya approaches the critical 2027 elections, the IEBC faces perhaps its greatest challenge yet: restoring faith in a deeply skeptical electorate.

With the mass continued voter registration entering the fourth day, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has introduced advanced technology to solve the perennial issues that have long plagued the commission, leading to low trust among Kenyans.

The IEBC was established to replace the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK), which oversaw the controversial 2007 elections that plunged the country into chaos, forcing constitutional reforms that gave rise to the IEBC under the 2010 Constitution.

Trust issues in IEBC

After the new constitution and the IEBC oversaw its initial election in 2013, Kenyans still face issues with trust in the electoral body, as evidenced by recent polls where the majority expressed concerns over the IEBC’s ability to deliver credible elections in 2027.

With each election cycle, when voter registration is opened, it usually comes with new technology. This year was no different. In fact, the commission has introduced significant changes in its systems and technology to address some of the longstanding problems.

Change in the voter registration machine

One major change is the discontinuation of the heavy biometric voter registration kits, which contained a laptop for inputting details, a battery to power the laptop fingerprint scanner, and, in some instances, a solar panel for areas without electricity.

These made mobility difficult, as officers had to carry the equipment from one place to another to register voters.

Now, the commission has fully adopted the KIMS kit, which performs multiple functions – fingerprint scanning, iris scanning, and ID card scanning – all in one device. It is about the size of a tablet or an iPad, fits easily inside a handbag, and can be carried around like a mobile phone.

The commission has also increased the number of biometric identifiers. Traditionally, fingerprints were the primary biometric. Now, iris scanning and facial recognition have been added to enhance voter security.

Unauthorised transfers

There have been issues of voters finding themselves registered in polling stations they did not choose.

For example, a voter in Kisumu discovers they are registered in Wajir or are being transferred to another polling station without consent.

This has been a long-standing problem, particularly in areas dominated by opposition figures, with allegations that such transfers were orchestrated by the deep state to reduce votes.

These problems have now been addressed with advancements in technology. The commission now requires anyone seeking a transfer to be physically present and have their biometrics verified to ensure the person requesting the transfer is the same person who registered.

Traditionally, this process required only filling out a form, and transfers could be done without the voter’s consent.

Additionally, voters are now required to continually check the voter register to confirm where they are registered before going to the ballot.

Manual input of data

Previously, voter details were manually input into the system by registering officers, which often led to errors, such as misspelt names. The commission has addressed this by enabling the KIMS kit to scan the ID, automatically populating all details without manual input.

The one billion dollar question that each Kenyan is asking themselves is will this technology alleviate electoral malpractices that have long marred the commission?

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