Marjan calls for adaptive planning to strengthen electoral management
By Faith Lagat, December 8, 2025Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Commission Secretary and Chief Executive Officer Marjan Hussein Marjan has urged the electoral body and its partners to adopt adaptive planning ahead of the 2027 General Election, drawing lessons from the November 27 by-elections.
Speaking in December 8, 2025, during a Stakeholder Engagement Forum convened to review the by-elections held across 22 electoral areas in various counties, Marjan acknowledged successes while highlighting persistent challenges.
“There are areas requiring continuous improvement, including voter apathy, logistical gaps, misinformation, and isolated security incidents,” the CEO stated.
“The CEO stressed that electoral management is a learning journey and called for adaptive planning, stronger coordination, and proactive communication to protect the integrity of future polls.”
Successful polling amid challenges
Marjan commended the collective effort that made the by-elections largely orderly. “Commission Secretary/CEO Marjan Hussein Marjan, MBS, acknowledged the commitment of @IEBCKenya staff, security teams, political actors, media, observers, and community leaders whose work ensured orderly polling, timely deployment of materials, and smooth voter identification through KIEMS,” read the commission post.
The CEO highlighted the near-perfect performance of technology, with KIEMS kits achieving 99 percent functionality, enabling seamless voter identification across polling stations. The by-elections also recorded timely opening of polling stations and peaceful voting in most areas, demonstrating operational efficiency under challenging conditions.
“The scale of the exercise conducting the elections in the 22 electoral areas across diverse counties offered valuable insights into IEBC’s logistical systems, stakeholder engagement and field operations,” Marjan observed. “This showed the critical contributions of 173 observer groups, voter educators, and the media in supporting transparency and building voter confidence.”
Focus on continuous improvement
Despite the achievements, Marjan expressed concern over low voter turnout, particularly among young voters, pockets of logistical delays, and the spread of misinformation on various platforms. Isolated security incidents were also reported in a few areas.
He emphasised that the November 27 exercise served as a vital rehearsal for the Commission, stressing that electoral processes must evolve through evidence-based adjustments and enhanced collaboration with all stakeholders.