Kenya is staring at the possibility of holding the 2027 General Election under outdated constituency and ward boundaries, after the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) revealed that a fresh review cannot be completed in time.
Appearing before the National Assembly’s Constitution Implementation Oversight Committee, IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon said the boundary delimitation exercise is both technical and politically charged, requiring at least two to three years.
“We need two to three years to conduct this technical and emotive issue,” Ethekon said, adding that Parliament must act urgently to prevent a constitutional crisis.
The Constitution requires boundaries to be reviewed every eight to twelve years, with the exercise concluded at least a year before a general election. The last review was done in 2012, meaning the legal window expired in March 2024.
However, the IEBC was without commissioners for over two years, making it impossible to begin the review until the body was reconstituted this year.
To clarify its powers, the commission had sought advice from the Attorney-General and even filed a reference with the Supreme Court in July 2024. The court, however, struck out the case in September 2025, ruling that only a fully constituted commission can file such matters.
“The court opined, among other things, that only a duly constituted commission, comprising the chairperson and other members, could bring the matter before the court,” IEBC Legal Affairs Director Chrispine Owiye told MPs.
Ethekon said the commission will issue a final report within a month on whether any review is still possible before the 2027 polls. He also urged lawmakers to consider legislative or constitutional measures to avert an electoral crisis.
Political stakes remain high. In the last review in 2012, 27 constituencies that fell below the population threshold were shielded from abolition after MPs voted to protect them, a move that underscored the deep sensitivities surrounding boundary changes.
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