Smooth seas do not make skilful sailors, so goes a sagacious old African axiom. 

With at least one senatorial, six National Assembly and 16 county assembly seats vacant, the newly reconstituted IEBC faces immediate challenges.  

With no time to prepare their tools, sharpen systems, or clear paths for by-elections, the IEBC must mobilise all resources immediately. 

Given the country’s numerous political formations and ongoing tectonic shifts and realignments, the IEBC requires strategic stakeholder support to deliver upcoming by-elections and prepare for the titanic 2027 general election. 

The first critical factor is the indefatigable Gen Z youth movement that has gripped the political and ruling elites’ conscience.  

Since June 2024’s nationwide protests, Kenya’s political organising will never be the same. The emboldened zeal to ask tough governance questions from a non-biased, non-tribal, fearless front represents a new chapter in political activism.  

Despite real threats of State-sanctioned violence, illegal arrests, abductions, disappearances, torture, and charges like terrorism, their courage persists.  

Their desire for streamlined political systems and institutional accountability signals to IEBC that ill-preparedness, voter manipulation, and result meddling will not be tolerated. 

These informed, exposed, energised tech mavericks have millions of millennials and elders supporting their cause. 

Political parties must use the upcoming by-elections to put their houses in order. Most party offices remain closed and dormant since the 2022 elections, with regional offices permanently shut.  

This is the time to dust off paraphernalia for by-elections and prepare for party primaries and general elections.  

The Office of Registrar of Political Parties must flex its muscles and ensure all parties follow electoral policy and law. 

The worrying human rights violations atmosphere since June 2024 Gen Z protests raises concerns about heightened political processes, like by-elections and general elections. 

Those questioning the political and governing elite’s status quo have been harassed domestically and abroad or eliminated.  

If this continues, universal suffrage ideals will be highly compromised.

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights and the Independent Policing Oversight Authority have released grim figures of gross human rights violations, some bordering on international crimes. These must end!

The DCI, ODPP, and Judiciary must stop enabling illegal arrests, inane prosecutions, and illogical detentions with sky-high bail terms. 

The ethnic card being pulled by some political and ruling elites to whip sympathy and support is self-defeating.  

While they think they’re solidifying parochial bases, it only weakens the nation’s bond. Lessons from fragile, bleeding states like Somalia and Southern Sudan must ring a bell. 

The National Cohesion and Integration Commission must gather strength and ensure those flaring ethnic slurs face consequences without prejudice. We need to see heads rolling literally. 

Rumours of groundwork for violence and ethnic cleansing need utmost attention. 

Unconfirmed reports suggest notable figures might be stockpiling weapons for chaos during campaigns or after elections.  

Such rumours must never be taken lightly, and the highest offices must assure Kenyans of their preparedness to arrest and deal with such situations.  

We cannot afford bloodshed—we saw and felt it in 2007-8. 

While the Constitution allows Kenyans to savour a buffet of political fronts, this diversity should celebrate freedom of choice and divergent opinion, not create negative division. 

Political ideological realignment is healthy, but must not push the country toward hatred and animosity.  

The writer is an Assistant Director at the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR)