“No More Vote Recounts!” – IEBC Declares, Implements Strict Process
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has issued official directions outlining when sealed ballot boxes can be reopened after votes have been counted in elections.
In an official Gazette Notice dated May 26 and signed by Chairperson Erastus Ethekon, the IEBC described the procedure for retrieving electoral materials that were incorrectly sealed inside ballot boxes and discovered at the Constituency Tallying Centre.
The commission directed that, following retrieval, no votes be recounted or results announced at the polling location altered.
“There shall be no recount or change of already announced results at the polling station,” the notice stated.
According to the notice, only certain electoral materials can be recovered from a sealed vote box.
Press Release:
Claims by Persons Purporting to Stage Election Manipulation in the 2027 General Election
IEBC notes with grave concern recent utterances by certain political actors alleging that they will influence the electoral process in the 2027 presidential election through… pic.twitter.com/8kP2Vz9Xqz— IEBC (@IEBCKenya) May 26, 2026
They include Kenya Integrated Elections Management System (KIEMS) kits, statutory forms, polling station diaries and mobile phones used by election officials.
The commission directed that the process can only take place at the Constituency Tallying Centre after the Presiding Officer notifies the Constituency Returning Officer of the error.
The Presiding Officer will then be required to summon their polling station agents to the tallying centre to witness the retrieval process.
IEBC stated that the ballot box must be opened in the presence of the Constituency Returning Officer, tallying centre agents and polling station agents before the required materials are removed.
After the retrieval, the ballot box must be resealed and the new seal serial numbers must be recorded in the Polling Station Diary.
Polling station agents and tallying centre agents will also be required to sign as witnesses to the process, while the Returning Officer records the occurrence in the official Incident Report.
In cases where polling station agents cannot be reached, the Constituency Returning Officer will be required to inform the commission for further guidance.
The directives were issued under provisions of the Constitution, the IEBC Act, the Elections Act and the Elections (General) Regulations.
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Officials are now formally required to follow the outlined steps to avoid procedural violations that could compromise the credibility of results during future polls.
The new guidelines clarify electoral procedures amid public and political speculation about potential interference ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The notice was dated on the same day IEBC condemned claims by political actors that they would influence the outcome of the elections.
They warned that such assertions undermine public confidence in the country’s democratic processes and the integrity of future elections.
“No More Vote Recounts!” – IEBC Declares, Implements Strict Process
