Officials from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) held a high-level meeting with officials from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to discuss early support mechanisms ahead of the 2027 General Election.
In a statement on Saturday, April 12, the Commission said the talks focused on operational preparedness, the ongoing reconstitution of the Commission, and potential areas for collaboration through UNDP’s Basket Fund.
“The Commission, led by the Commission Secretary/CEO Marjan H. Marjan, held a bilateral meeting with UNDP to provide an update on its operational preparedness for the 2027 General Elections,” read the statement in part.
“Marjan expressed appreciation for UNDP’s Basket Fund continued support, especially in the pre, during and post-election phases of the 2022 General Election.”
Details of IEBC Talks with UNDP Over 2027 Election Support
CEO Marjan commended the timeliness of the visit, given the proximity to the 2027 General Election, and shared updates on the ongoing recruitment of the Chairperson and members of the Commission.
He noted that the reconstitution of the Commission is expected in the coming months, making UNDP’s engagement particularly timely and instrumental.
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On her part, the UNDP Deputy Resident Representative, Madelena Monoja, described the visit as a fact-finding mission aimed at identifying areas where UNDP can offer early support.
She noted that the engagement forms part of a Needs Assessment Mission (NAM), which is typically conducted to guide UNDP’s support to institutions like the IEBC ahead of key elections.
Madelena welcomed the timing of the engagement, which coincides with the recruitment of the Chairperson and members of the Commission.
Three NAM Options Identified for Electoral Preparedness
NAM ordinarily precedes any UNDP support to any institution in a sovereign state.
Upon establishing priority areas, the Commission or any other Government agencies like Treasury and Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs and UNDP sign a tripartite agreement to guide its implementation.
From the meeting, three potential options for supporting the IEBC were identified.
The first is crafting a NAM focused on immediate support for the induction of the Chairperson and new Commission members.
The second option involves carrying out a full NAM once the Commission is fully constituted.
Lastly, the third option is providing continuous support for the Commission’s capacity building through attending regional and global conferences on electoral matters.
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This follows the Commission’s discussions in 2024 during the 9th Project Steering Committee meeting, which included implementing partners from UNDP, UN Women, the UN Human Rights Office in Kenya, the European Union, the German Embassy, the Embassy of Ireland, and the Italian Embassy in Kenya.
Held on May 29, 2024, the meeting aimed to approve the revised annual work plan, set new timelines, and review the status report of the projects under the Basket Fund.
Madelena highlighted the achievements of the project, which began in 2021 to support elections in Kenya.
She noted that the project’s contributions played a key role in ensuring that the IEBC conducted a credible, peaceful, and inclusive 2022 General Election while combating misinformation and propaganda throughout the election cycle.
The Commission sought further support to review its Strategic Plan 2020-2024, which will inform the development of the 2024-2028 Strategic Plan and the 2027 Election Operations Plan.
This support will also aid in the rollout of the paralegal training project, conduct online voter registration and education, and facilitate peer learning on the electoral legal framework and election technologies.
Additionally, the support will be channeled into establishing the Commission’s technology testing, scrutiny, and training lab; setting up a Customer Experience Centre for preliminary operations and piloting; developing career progression guidelines; and acquiring fact-checking tools, such as iVerify and iMonitor+, to address misinformation and disinformation.
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