NewzNAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 30 – Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has dismissed reports claiming the electoral agency intends to ban the live streaming of election results during the 2027 General Election. IEBC Chairperson Edung Ethekon on Thursday insisted that media access remains central to the commission’s commitment to transparency. Speaking during a national consultative forum on the proposed Election Campaign Financing Regulations, 2026, Ethekon described the reports as “unfounded propaganda” and assured Kenyans that the commission has neither proposed nor considered restricting live media coverage of the electoral process.
“I would like to assure the people of Kenya that there is nothing like that whatsoever,” Ethekon said. “This commission stands for transparency and accountability, and we will be the last people to make any decision or proposal to stifle the freedom of the media.” He reaffirmed that journalists will continue to enjoy full access to polling stations, constituency tallying centres and other election venues in line with existing electoral laws and the commission’s commitment to open elections. IEBC proposes mandatory campaign bank accounts for 2027 polls IEBC targets August release of campaign finance rules Ethekon said the IEBC remains bound by a Memorandum of Understanding with the Kenya Media Sector Working Group, comprising the Kenya Editors Guild and the Kenya Union of Journalists, among other media stakeholders, to facilitate comprehensive election coverage.
The IEBC chief said the commission views independent media scrutiny as an integral part of delivering free, fair and credible elections. His remarks come amid speculation that the commission had submitted proposals to Parliament seeking to prohibit the live streaming of election results, claims the IEBC says are false. Ethekon made the clarification while leading stakeholder consultations on draft campaign financing regulations, where the commission reiterated its commitment to conducting transparent elections ahead of the 2027 General Election.
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 30 – The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is targeting submition of draft campaign financing regulations for the 2027 General Election to Parliament in August after concluding nationwide public participation. The regulations seek to tighten oversight of political campaign spending. “We came into office with time on our side, but now we are left with roughly one year to the 2027 polls,” Ethekon said, underscoring the urgency of completing the legal framework ahead of the election.
The commission is currently reviewing feedback collected from county cluster engagements involving political parties, civil society organisations, election observers and members of the public. Ethekon said the proposed regulations are designed to operationalise the Election Campaign Financing Act, 2013 by introducing clear contribution and spending limits while strengthening transparency and accountability in campaign financing. The draft rules propose mandatory campaign bank accounts for candidates and political parties, registration of campaign finance managers, stricter disclosure of donations and expenditures, as well as compliance, audit and dispute resolution mechanisms.
IEBC proposes mandatory campaign bank accounts for 2027 polls IEBC Commissioner Mary Karen Sorobit said the quality of submissions received so far demonstrates strong stakeholder engagement and will help the commission refine a practical and enforceable framework. “Your constructive feedback and well-considered proposals will greatly enrich the review process and contribute to the development of a robust, practical and inclusive regulatory framework,” Sorobit said. The commission said the public participation exercise also seeks to validate the methodology for determining campaign contribution and spending limits across all elective positions.
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