Kenya: 'We Are Not Out of Time' - IEBC Defends Election Technology Timeline

What the report says

Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission is pushing back against worries that delays in procuring election technology could affect preparations for the 2027 General Election. In remarks reported by Capital FM and carried by AllAfrica, IEBC Commissioner Alutalala Mukhwana said the commission still has time to complete procurement and then carry out simulations and testing before polling day.

According to the report, Mukhwana said the commission has about 120 days for procurement, followed by another 60 days for system testing. He argued that the legal timetable has not been exhausted, while also saying the commission is ready to comply with court orders if parts of the procurement process need to be amended. The comments come as the tender for the Integrated Elections Management System faces legal scrutiny over its requirements.

The article says the IEBC was earlier ordered to review and amend that tender after a challenge to the procurement process. Mukhwana also urged the Judiciary to move cases along more quickly, warning that prolonged litigation could slow preparations. The issue matters because election technology is central to voter identification, results transmission and broader election management.

The report also places this dispute within wider procurement challenges facing the commission, including a separate High Court halt on further steps in a multibillion-shilling tender for ballot papers and other election materials. More broadly, such court battles underscore the tension between procurement rules, transparency and election-readiness as Kenya approaches the 2027 polls.