The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has issued an update on the review of constituency and ward boundaries.
IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon, in a statement issued on Tuesday, January 27, said the Commission has resolved to undertake the process through a phased approach after reviewing constitutional requirements, court decisions, available resources and the national electoral calendar.
Ethekon said the decision was aimed at balancing the Commission’s constitutional mandate with the need to safeguard preparations for the 2027 General Election.
“This decision reflects the Commission’s commitment to upholding constitutionalism while safeguarding the integrity and preparedness of the electoral process,” he said.
The Commission said boundary delimitation is a constitutional requirement intended to uphold the principle of “one person, one vote, one value” by ensuring equitable representation in light of population changes and geographic realities.
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IEBC noted that preparations for the second boundaries review began after the completion of the first review in 2012, with significant groundwork carried out since 2019 under the Boundaries Review Operations Plan.
However, the process was affected by several constraints, including the absence of commissioners between January 2023 and July 2025, which stalled activities requiring policy direction.
Why the phased approach was picked by IEBC
The Commission also cited court rulings that invalidated the 2019 population census data for constituencies in Garissa, Wajir and Mandera counties, rendering the data unusable for boundary delimitation until pending cases are resolved.
IEBC further said it faced legal risks arising from litigation seeking to compel it to complete boundary reviews ahead of the 2027 polls, alongside competing electoral priorities such as by-elections, voter registration and institutional reforms.
Time constraints were also highlighted, with IEBC noting that a full boundary review requires at least two years, while the Constitution requires the exercise to be completed at least 12 months before a general election.
With less than seven months remaining to meet the August 2026 deadline, the Commission said completing the process in time was impractical.
Based on legal advice from the Attorney General and an advisory opinion issued by the Supreme Court in September 2025, IEBC said a phased approach was the most legally defensible option.
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Under the approach, the Commission said it will proceed with preparatory and technical work, including geodata collection and capacity building, but will not review constituency or ward boundaries before the 2027 General Election.
“No Constituency or Ward boundaries will be reviewed before the 2027 General Election given the time constraints and resource requirements.”
Ethekon added that any substantive boundary delimitation will be undertaken after the 2027 polls using legally validated population data.
IEBC also clarified that the number of constituencies will remain capped at 290 as provided for in the Constitution, meaning the review will focus on names and boundaries rather than creating new constituencies.
The Commission said it will continue engaging stakeholders, work with Parliament and the National Treasury on resource requirements, and closely monitor ongoing court cases affecting the use of census data.
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