Senior Counsel Paul Muite has raised serious concerns about the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission’s (IEBC) choice to work with Smartmatic, a company with roots in Venezuela, to provide election technology for Kenya’s elections.

In a post on X on Thursday, January 8, 2026, Muite asked why IEBC selected a firm linked to a country that has faced widespread questions over its democratic record. He called for lifestyle audits of both past and current IEBC commissioners to ensure they acted properly when awarding and extending contracts to the firm.

“Of ALL the companies in the world, IEBC identified Venezuela, with zero democratic credentials, as the one whose company, Smartmatic, was to supply sensitive election equipment? WHY? Lifestyle audits of IEBC commissioners, past and present, are necessary,” he posted.

Smartmatic won the original contract to supply the Kenya Integrated Election Management System (KIEMS) kits used in the 2022 general election. The contract was awarded after a public tender in November 2021, and Smartmatic provided the sensitive technology used to identify voters and transmit results on election day. IEBC officials have repeatedly said that the technology helped deliver results efficiently and legally.

Smartmatic was founded by Venezuelan engineers and has been involved in elections in many countries. It is registered in the Netherlands and headquartered in the United Kingdom, but its origins and early work tie back to Venezuela. The company has handled election technology in places such as the Philippines, Uganda and parts of the United States.

Muite’s concerns are not unique. Opposition leaders have also questioned IEBC’s contract with Smartmatic. Eugene Wamalwa, leader of the Democratic Action Party of Kenya (DAP‑K), said the contract extension for the 2027 elections must be cancelled.

He described the extension as illegal and accused IEBC’s CEO Hussein Marjan of abusing his office by renewing the deal without proper oversight. Wamalwa has even suggested taking the matter to court.

Foreign links raise election fears

Part of the controversy stems from an incident in July 2022, when three Venezuelan nationals working for Smartmatic were arrested at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. They were carrying election stickers without the proper declaration. The police released them after verifying their details, but the event heightened fears about foreign influence and election integrity.

Critics argue that Smartmatic’s connection to Venezuela and its history in other countries should have raised red flags during the procurement process. They point to claims made in a US court by af ormer Venezuelan intelligence chief that Smartmatic technology was manipulated in past Venezuelan elections, although Smartmatic denies wrongdoing and says it ended operations in Venezuela in 2017.

Muite says that doubts over Smartmatic’s past and the process that led to its selection undermine public confidence in Kenya’s electoral system.