Anne Nderitu defends IEBC against public distrust in recent opinion polls
By Mabonga Makhanu, September 30, 2025IEBC Commissioner Anne Nderitu has moved to defend the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) following the release of opinion polls showing that a majority of Kenyans lack confidence in the electoral body.
Speaking during an interview on a local television station on Monday, September 29, 2025, Nderitu described the issue of trust as “historical”, arguing that the current commission has only been in office for 76 days and should be judged by its own performance rather than past shortcomings.
“I don’t know how they can say they don’t have confidence when we are barely 76 days in office. That means they are looking at history. They better wake up and trust us, because we have just come in and we want to do things differently,” she said.
Nderitu emphasised the need for Kenyans to begin restoring trust in public institutions, stressing that such confidence is vital if citizens are to fully benefit from the services provided under the Constitution.
According to her, mistrust in institutions such as the IEBC risks denying citizens their very own constitutional rights.
She pointed out that the Constitution guarantees Kenyans’ electoral services, including access to voter registration and election management, which can only be embraced when people trust the institutions tasked with delivering them.
“The minute you have a negative perception of an institution, you can barely embrace the services that come from it. By doing so, you are denying yourself your own right that is guaranteed in the Constitution,” Nderitu noted.
How to reduce mistrust
At the same time, the commissioner acknowledged that trust is not automatic but must be earned. She pledged that the IEBC would work to demonstrate independence, transparency, and commitment to serving the country with integrity.
“Trust is earned, not given. We are going to earn that trust from the Kenyan public by demonstrating that we are independent, that we really mean well for the country, and that we want to deliver electoral services the way they are supposed to be done,” she affirmed.
Voter registration
These come a day after mass voter registration was launched by the commission, with them targeting 6.3 million new voters.
The first day of voter registration was marked with low voter turnout, with areas where elections are slated being suspended until the end of the exercise. The exercise is set to continue until 2027, 8 months to the voting date.