Let's fast-track electoral law reforms for a better election experience

IEBC Chairperson, Erastus Ethekon and commissions address a media briefing on the delimitation of electoral boundaries, at Anniversary Towers in Nairobi, on January 27, 2026. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Every five years, Kenya’s democracy undergoes a defining moment. While Kenya has made commendable strides in electoral management, one recurring lesson stands out with unmistakable clarity: Electoral reforms are most effective when they are undertaken early, deliberately and transparently, not hurried through on the eve of an election.

Unresolved legal gaps in electoral management will not disappear on their own. They resurface during election seasons as disputes, litigation and public mistrust. Fast-tracking electoral law reforms well ahead of the next general election is therefore not a political convenience; it is a democratic necessity.