The former IEBC Chief Executive Officer James Oswago during the morning interview at Spice FM on August 11,2026 .[Benard Orwongo, Standard]
Former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chief Executive Officer James Oswago has called for a national conversation on how Kenya funds, prepares for and conducts elections, warning the country risks repeating the same mistakes every five years.
Speaking on Spice FM on Tuesday, August 11, Oswago questioned the rising cost of elections and the huge sums required by the IEBC ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The commission has requested Sh74.8 billion for the three-year electoral cycle. The National Treasury has allocated Sh41.3 billion, leaving a significant funding gap.
The easiest way to manipulate any institution is to starve it of funds, Oswago observed.
Parliament should not simply determine what the IEBC receives without considering what the commission requires to conduct a credible election, he added.
"The IEBC must be given room to arrive at its own budget, but on the other hand, it should be held accountable, to a larger extent, for the resources it has been allocated," he explained.