Kenya, May 13 -- Opposition leaders in Kenya have shared their plans to create a new team called the People's IEBC. This team will help monitor the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to make sure it is open and fair in its work.
This decision comes because there are concerns that President William Ruto is trying to control how commissioners for the IEBC are chosen to help him win re-election in 2027.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the opposition coalition expressed its worry about what it sees as too much politics in the way the IEBC hires its staff.
They claimed that the group responsible for choosing new IEBC commissioners was influenced by people close to the president, ignoring important rules about being fair, getting public input, and having real conversations.
The leaders also said that some people chosen for the panel have ties to President Ruto and his supporters, which they believe threatens the independence of the commission.
They warned, "The current IEBC may end up working for the president's re-election, instead of being an unbiased judge in Kenya's elections."
The opposition is asking for immediate access to the Selection Panel's report and meeting records to better understand how the recruitment happened.
They promised that the People's IEBC will carefully observe the electoral commission's actions and encourage citizens to protect the fairness of upcoming elections.
This announcement has increased political tensions, with the opposition planning a bigger campaign to fight what they see as attacks on democratic institutions as the 2027 general election approaches.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Bana Kenya.