Nation Kenya editorial calls for stronger trust in Kenya’s electoral commission
In Kenya, the editorial board of Nation Kenya called on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to strengthen the transparency of its work ahead of the next elections. The article notes that in less than a year, Kenyans are to elect constituency representatives in the country’s 47 counties, as well as the president.
The cost of elections
The editorial board described elections as the foundation of Kenya’s democratic system, as they enable citizens to freely choose their leaders. At the same time, conducting a vote is expensive, so, according to the authors, mismanagement of funds and embezzlement in the procurement of election materials and payment for services must be prevented.
The article states that difficulties in procuring voting materials and low public trust in the IEBC are among the factors increasing the cost of elections. A new study cited in the editorial ranks elections in Kenya among the most expensive in the region, Africa and the world.
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Trust in the IEBC
According to the study, the IEBC spends more when the incumbent president is running for re-election and disputed election results are heard by the Supreme Court. The editorial’s authors suggest that the situation may worsen next year.
The editorial board also recalled that Kenya has held elections every five years since gaining independence. Referring to Article 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the authors emphasized citizens’ right to take part in the government of their country directly or through freely chosen representatives.
In Nation Kenya’s view, public distrust, fears of fraud and limited transparency require the IEBC to take additional steps to strengthen confidence in the organization of the electoral process. The outlet considers free and fair elections important for peace and stability in the country.
