The United Opposition has tabled a comprehensive set of 21 demands to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) in the run-up to the November 27, 2025, by-elections. The coalition argues that the commission has fallen short of constitutional obligations and insists that greater transparency is needed to safeguard electoral justice.
At the center of the demands is a request for full disclosure of records and proceedings relating to the electoral body’s operations since January 2022. The Opposition wants access to minutes of plenary and committee meetings, as well as staff meetings, arguing that such information is crucial to evaluating how the commission has managed elections in the past and how it intends to oversee the upcoming polls.
A major area of concern is technology. The coalition seeks details of all contracts with service providers, particularly Smartmatic, the firm that supplied and managed the Kenya Integrated Elections Management System (KIEMS) kits during the 2022 elections. The Opposition demands records of procurement processes, due diligence, technical audits, and assessments of Smartmatic’s competency, both locally and internationally. It also wants the IEBC to state clearly whether the company met legal and constitutional requirements in past elections, especially in relation to access to the National Tallying Centre servers.
Further, the Opposition has asked for transparency in the procurement and printing of election materials. This includes ballot papers, result forms, and any contracts with firms involved, covering tender processes, contract variations, and the authority behind such decisions.
Another critical demand involves the voter register. The Opposition insists on full disclosure of the audit processes, including parameters used to verify data integrity, measures to protect the original register, and clarity on how many times it can be audited without compromising authenticity. Additionally, the coalition seeks detailed geolocation data of all gazetted polling stations for the by-elections.
The Opposition has given IEBC 14 days to respond to the demands. Meanwhile, the commission has admitted that at least eight of the planned by-elections may stall due to a lack of funds. IEBC projects that it will require Ksh.1 billion to conduct all 24 by-elections, but only Ksh.788 million has so far been released by the Treasury, leaving 16 by-elections funded while the rest hang in the balance.
The United Opposition maintains that meeting its demands will be key to restoring public trust in the electoral process.
