IEBC official calls for peaceful campaigns ahead of West Kabras by-election
By Faith Lagat, January 24, 2026The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has called on candidates and voters to maintain peace as campaigns begin for the West Kabras Ward by-election in Kakamega County.
IEBC Vice-Chairperson Fahima Arafat appealed on January 23, 2026, during the ongoing candidate registration exercise in Malava Constituency.
Speaking at West Kabras Ward, Arafat said the commission was keen on ensuring the process runs smoothly and without disruptions as the country prepares for several by-elections scheduled for February 26, 2026.
She noted that West Kabras is among four electoral areas headed to the polls, alongside the Isiolo South parliamentary seat and two wards in Embu County, Evurore and Muminji.
Reiterating the commission’s appeal, Arafat called for peaceful elections: “We want to wish Kenyans to maintain peaceful campaigns and peaceful elections.”
Smooth registration process
While addressing the issue, Arafat said the IEBC had not encountered challenges during the registration of candidates, attributing the smooth process to cooperation from aspirants.
“Today, the 23rd of January, we are here in Kakamega County, Malava constituency, at West Kabras Ward. We are ensuring, as a commission, that the registration process of the candidates will be done smoothly and peacefully,” she said.
She added, “What we are happy about as a commission is that the aspirants, and these are the politicians, have now really understood the process, and we have not encountered any challenges.”
By midday, four candidates had already been registered, with more expected before the close of the exercise.
“So far we’ve had four candidates whom we have registered, and we are expecting three others to be able to come and be registered by the end of today,” Arafat said.
Campaigns to begin after induction
Following the close of nominations, Arafat said successful candidates would be inducted and their campaign schedules harmonised to avoid clashes. She confirmed that the electoral code of conduct had been read out to aspirants.
“Immediately after the registration process, they shall be able to start their campaigns, and as a commission, we call out to Kenyans to maintain peace throughout the campaign period,” she said.
She further noted, “The code of conduct has also been read out to them, and as a commission we are also going to ensure that nobody will be able to go again instead.”
Preparedness and funding
Arafat assured the public that the commission is fully prepared to conduct the February by-elections, including having adequate financial resources.
“As a commission we have the budget, and we are also working with other agencies like the Treasury to be able to fund us in any other places that we may have gaps,” she said.
She added, “This is because election is a process, and even funding is a process. So we have funds for financial years 2025-2026 and then 2026-2027 to ensure that we are able to conduct our elections without any hinges.”