The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has responded to an upcoming expose which alleged there was an elaborate scheme to smuggle more votes from neighbouring Uganda ahead of the 2027 general elections. In a statement on Sunday, September 27, the IEBC strongly dismissed the claims of illegal voter registration, voter transfers and registration of foreigners, saying it had not received credible evidence to support them."The stories on electoral malpractice or illegality relating to the registration of voters, illegal transfers of voters and alleged registration of foreigners as voters in Kenya and abroad remain unsubstantiated and untrue," the Commission said.IEBC's rebuttal followed a KTN teaser released on the evening of Saturday, September 26, which reported that its investigation had uncovered voter registration materials being moved to Uganda, with the Swam border area in Trans Nzoia County at the centre of the allegations. The report also linked the claims to several politicians whose names featured in the allegations.However, IEBC said its voter registration exercise was being conducted across all 290 constituencies under the provisions of the Constitution and electoral, and was restricted to designated and gazetted centres and conducted by trained officials under the supervision of Registration Officers.Further, IEBC distanced itself from allegations of issuing IDs to foreigners, clarifying that it is not responsible for issuing national identification cards or Kenyan passports. The commission added, “In addition, IEBC does not issue National IDs or Kenyan passports. These functions fall within the mandate of the relevant State Agencies responsible for identification, citizenship and immigration."The issue of voter registration malpractice has been on the forefront of opposition's concerns in recent weeks, particularly in counties bordering Uganda. Among the leaders who have consistently raised concerns includes Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya, whose county was at the centre of the report by KTN. The matter was also raised by Democratic Party leader Justin Muturi, who on Saturday, September 26, called on IEBC to summon Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen over recent remarks concerning Kenyans living along the Uganda border.Amid pressure for accountability, IEBC said it had established administrative and technological safeguards to prevent unauthorised voter registration. IEBC said its KIEMS kits were configured for use within its authorised electoral environment and could only be operationalised by Registration Officers.Further, the commission explained that Registration Officers could delegate the operation of the kits to trained Registration Clerks using unique passwords. The clerks are mapped to specific electoral areas, and registration is restricted to gazetted registration centres.On the issue of the alleged movement of equipment to neighbouring countries to foster unlawful voter registrations, IEBC said, "No KIEMS Kit has been misplaced or reported missing, intercepted or unlawfully moved to unauthorised places or foreign destinations."KIEMS kits used during the Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration exercise between March 30 and April 28, 2026, were secured at designated police stations or IEBC offices before being returned to its warehouses after the exercise, according to the IEBC. IEBC also addressed the participation of Kenyans living outside the country, including those in Uganda, Tanzania and South Sudan, noting that their residence abroad does not affect their constitutional right to participate in the electoral process. The Commission said it was progressively expanding diaspora voter registration.Members of the public, media organisations and political groups with evidence of irregularities were urged to submit the information to the Commission for investigation. IEBC also said it remained open to engagement with citizens and stakeholders to promote accountability and ensure that its staff, processes and procedures complied with the law.
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