The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has issued a firm response after former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) raised concerns over the agency’s use of state departments in voter registration and identity verification.
In a statement released on February 16, 2026, the Commission said it had noted with concern the recent remarks by the DCP Party challenging IEBC’s engagement with the National Registration Bureau and other government agencies.
The party had questioned whether the involvement of these institutions compromised the integrity and independence of the voter register.
IEBC Responds to DCP
IEBC stated that the Constitution of Kenya and the Elections Act give it the full mandate to register voters, maintain an accurate and updated voter register, and ensure the integrity of the process.
The Commission cited Article 88(4) of the Constitution and Sections 4 and 6 of the Elections Act, 2011, which empower it to manage voter registration and safeguard the register from manipulation.
IEBC explained that its collaboration with state agencies is not only lawful but necessary, since those agencies are custodians of the official population and identification records required for voter registration.
“In fulfilling this constitutional and statutory mandate, the Commission requires to work with relevant government agencies that are the lawful custodians of lawful and relevant data to the execution of its mandate,” read part of the statement by IEBC.
The Commission also highlighted Article 249(2)(b) of the Constitution, which guarantees that constitutional commissions operate independently and are not subject to direction or control by any authority or individual.
According to the IEBC, the National Registration Bureau verifies national identity card details and eligibility of citizens during voter registration.
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Civil Registration Services confirms records of deceased persons to help clean the voter register, and the Directorate of Immigration Services verifies passport details and citizenship records.
IEBC Stands Firm
IEBC further added that regulated private institutions, including banks, insurance firms, and telecommunications companies, also rely on population databases for verification, compliance, and fraud prevention under Kenya’s data‑protection laws.
“Therefore, the Commission has been engaging the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services on various areas of collaboration including establishing a secure Application Programming Interface (API) link with Integrated Population Registration System (IPRS) to ensure only legitimate ID and passport numbers are used. Once the engagements are complete, the Commission will inform the relevant stakeholders,” IEBC stated.
In its statement, the Commission stressed that the voter register remains fully under its custody and control, as provided for in the Constitution and the Elections Act.
It reiterated that all personal voter data is handled in strict compliance with the Elections Regulations and the Data Protection Act, 2019.
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The Commission also defended its independence, arguing that cooperation with state agencies does not hand over control of the register or compromise its mandate.
The Commission concluded by assuring the public that it remains open to providing clarification on any aspect of the voter‑registration process and will continue to communicate with stakeholders as further system upgrades are completed.
DCP Party’s Demands
DCP wants the IEBC to publicly release any data‑sharing MoU with the Office of the President and to stop all joint task forces that may affect its independence.
It also demands full transparency on any system links between IEBC, the National Registration Bureau, and private vendors such as Smartmatic.
The party warns that if the IEBC does not address these concerns, the United Opposition Coalition will take the matter to court to protect voter data and election integrity.
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