The United Alternative Government has challenged the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to guarantee full transparency in the technology it plans to deploy for the 2027 General Election.
The Opposition warned that opaque systems could erode public confidence in the electoral process. Speaking during a press briefing on the IEBC’s Election Operations Plan (EOP) for the 2027 General Election, former Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi said election technology must face scrutiny from stakeholders, independent auditors, and the courts to ensure credibility and accountability.
“Technology must serve democracy; democracy must never become captive to technology,” Muturi said.
He noted that Kenya’s electoral experience shows how technology can shape public trust, especially when IEBC transmits and tallies election results. Muturi therefore urged the electoral commission to hold vendors accountable and to avoid shielding any part of the election infrastructure from public oversight.
“There can be no secret servers, no hidden systems, no untouchable vendors, and no black boxes in a democratic election. Every stage of the process must be transparent, auditable, and verifiable,” he said.
The leader of the Democratic Party of Kenya (DP) said transmission of election results remains one of the most sensitive parts of any election, arguing that past polls have shown public confidence can rise or fall depending on how results get handled.
“The transmission of election results remains one of the most sensitive stages of any election. Kenya’s electoral history demonstrates that public confidence can rise or fall based on how results are managed and transmitted,” he said.
To strengthen credibility, Muturi proposed several safeguards, including independent security audits of election systems, end-to-end encryption for transmitted results, immutable audit trails, and the full disclosure of system logs whenever electoral disputes emerge.
He also urged the commission to build in unique security features on constituency results forms to improve authentication and reduce the risk of manipulation.
Muturi said transparency should also extend to electoral accountability. He argued that reforms must cover more than the commissioners, pointing to the IEBC Secretariat, which handles procurement, voter registration, logistics, election operations, and the deployment of election technology.
“For years, public attention has focused on changes at the top of the Commission while the administrative machinery responsible for implementing elections remains largely untouched,” he said.
Muturi reiterated his call for stronger stakeholder involvement in the development of the Election Operations Plan, saying Kenyans will judge the credibility of the 2027 General Election based on how openly the commission consults and how accountable it remains throughout the electoral process.
“The 2027 General Election must not only be free and fair. It must also be seen to be free and fair. That process begins today, with transparency, consultation and accountability,” he said.
