Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairperson Erastus Ethekon/COURTESY IEBC chairperson Erastus Ethekon has announced that the commission has officially begun preparations for the pending by-elections across the country.
Ethekon said the commission is currently updating the voter register to ensure readiness ahead of the mini-polls.
The 23 vacant seats include one senatorial, six parliamentary, and 16 ward representative positions.
“This is a priority matter. As you have noticed, more than two years have already passed. Constituencies like Banisa in the Northeast have gone almost three years without a Member of Parliament,” he stated.
Banisa seat fell vacant following the death of Kullow Hassan Aden in March 2023 in a hit‑and‑run road accident in Nairobi.
Other vacant MP seats include Malava held by the late Malulu Injendi, who died after an illness, Magarini, which was declared vacant after the Supreme Court nullified the election of Harrison Kombe and that of Kasipul of Charles Were who was assassinated on May 1, 2025.
Ugunja and Mbeere North, occasioned by the appointment of Opiyo Wandayi and Geoffrey Ruku, respectively, to the Cabinet, are also among them.
Addressing the press Saturday in Mombasa, the chairperson acknowledged that delays in reconstituting the commission had slowed electoral processes.
He, however, affirmed that IEBC is now fully operational and working with urgency to meet constitutional timelines.
“To make up for lost time, we have already started working at weekends. There’s no room for rest or delay,” he said.
The commissioners, including some members of the secretariat, have been attending a week-long induction in the county, conducted by IEBC with the support from Electoral Law and Governance Institute for Africa (ELGIA).
The programme is designed to deepen commissioners' understanding in planning and management of key electoral activities.
Commission CEO Marjan Hussein, together with members of the senior management team and experts in various key fields, were leading the sessions as facilitators.
This programme is a critical milestone in equipping the new leadership with the necessary knowledge inorder for them to achieve the Commission’s mandate.
Ethekon, at the same time, stated that the commission will work around the clock to ensure all key milestones on the electoral calendar are achieved.
“We accept the reality of the delay, but we have a duty to deliver. You have seen that even over the weekend, we are on the job. We will do what is humanly possible to meet our mandate,” he affirmed.
