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The opposition accused IEBC CEO Hussein Marjan of illegally extending Smartmatic’s contract and demanded the decision be reversed. They argued that Marjan’s approval to let the company handle next year’s election was wrong
In a gazette notice dated December 29, 2025, the Speaker said the decision took effect from December 6, 2025.
The CS reiterated that the Constitution itself provides a lawful path for addressing procedural uncertainties, and the Supreme Court has already outlined how that path should be followed.
The appointments came after extensive consultations between Attorney-General Dorcas Oduor and Muslim organizations, including the Jamia Mosque Committee, the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM), NAMLEF, and CIPK. The panel’s role under the Waqf Act 2022 is to ensure that competent and qualified individuals are appointed to the Waqf Commission, tasked with managing Waqf assets responsibly and enhancing accountability.
The nation was struck by the passing of Raila Odinga, a towering figure in Kenyan politics. He died in India at 80 following a sudden cardiac arrest at a Kerala hospital. President Ruto eulogized him as “a once-in-a-generation leader, a tower of principle, and a father of our democracy,” while ordering seven days of national mourning, flags at half-mast, and a state funeral.
Court papers urge that a temporary order be issued stopping the Commission from conducting any elections or referenda without first reviewing the number, names, and boundaries of electoral units.
Chairperson Ethekon announced that the commission has named six Returning and Deputy Returning Officers to oversee the by-elections, with two officers deployed in each county where the polls will be conducted.
Traditionally, IEBC has relied on Kenyan missions abroad as polling stations, but long distances have made voting difficult for citizens in remote areas. Diaspora voting began under the 2010 Constitution in 2013 in four East African Community states: Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi, with South Africa added in 2017. By the 2022 elections, it had expanded to the USA, Canada, the UK, Germany, the UAE, Qatar, and South Sudan.
Despite this shift, the commission remains committed to registering 6.3 million additional voters. If successful, the total number of registered voters would rise to 28.4 million from the 22.1 million recorded during the August 9, 2022, General Election.
Oswago said the police are “very well trained… they understand the law backwards,” but systemic issues, including promotions and rewards based on loyalty rather than merit, pressure officers to act in ways that serve political interests rather than legal or ethical standards.
IEBC Chief Executive Officer Marjan Hussein Marjan said the by-elections tested the commission’s preparedness and operational strategies, including technology use and stakeholder engagement.
Justices Jairus Ngaah, Lawrence Mugambi, and John Chigiti ruled that petitioners Guyo Ali Guracha, Mohamed Wario Jattani, Teddy M. Muturi, and Steven Kihonge Ndung’u did not provide sufficient evidence to show that Governor Guyo and his deputy, John Lowasa, formally left UDA for the Jubilee Party.