Audio By Vocalize
IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon, alongside members of the Commission, National Police Service IG Douglas Kanja and National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) Chairman Dr Kepha Omae addressed the press ahead 2 days before Olkalou by-election. July 14, 2026. [Jonah Onyango, Standard
In every credible election, the most valuable asset an electoral commission possesses is not offices, technology, or budget. It is public confidence. Elections are ultimately an exercise in trust. Citizens must believe the referee is impartial, that the rules apply equally to all contestants, and every complaint will be assessed fairly and legally.
That is why public statements by commissioners of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission deserve scrutiny. Recent comments attributed to an IEBC commissioner, suggesting that distribution of government items such as mattresses, gas cylinders, and other goods during the Ol Kalou by-election period is not automatically voter bribery, have generated debate. Whether any specific conduct amounts to bribery is a legal question that depends on facts and law. But the way electoral officials discuss such issues affects public confidence.
