Kenya’s long-running debate over the credibility of its electoral technology has resurfaced sharply following fresh allegations linked to Smartmatic, the firm that supplies the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) with the Kenya Integrated Elections Management System (KIEMS) gadgets.
The renewed scrutiny comes in the wake of a filing in a United States court that has dragged Smartmatic into fresh controversy, reviving unresolved questions from Kenya’s disputed 2017 and 2022 General Elections.
At the centre of the latest claims is a reported assertion by a former Venezuelan intelligence chief, who alleged that Smartmatic’s systems were designed in a way that could alter electoral outcomes.
Although the claims were made in a foreign legal context, they have reignited domestic fears that Kenya’s electoral technology remains vulnerable to manipulation, fears that never fully subsided after the last two election cycles.
Ghosts of 2017 and 2022 Resurface
Kenya’s 2017 presidential election, annulled by the Supreme Court due to irregularities and illegalities, marked the first major public breakdown of confidence in the country’s electronic transmission system.
That distrust deepened further during the 2022 polls, when opposition leaders questioned the integrity of the results transmission and tallying process.
While the Supreme Court ultimately upheld President William Ruto’s victory, the episode entrenched suspicion around KIEMS and its vendor.
The latest Smartmatic-related revelations have reopened those wounds.
Opposition Demands Full Disclosure
Opposition leaders have seized on the developments to demand sweeping reforms and full transparency from the IEBC well ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Among the most vocal has been Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, who has expressed growing frustration with IEBC’s continued partnership with Smartmatic.
“Both IEBC CEO Marjan Hussein Marjan and Smartmatic must go. Kenya cannot walk into the 2027 General Election with the same opaque systems, secretive contracts and disputed technology,” Kalonzo said in November 2025.
The controversy places the IEBC in an increasingly uncomfortable position as it prepares for the next electoral cycle.
As Kenya inches closer to 2027, the Smartmatic debate is shaping up to be more than a technical dispute that is fast becoming a political litmus test for the credibility of the country’s democratic process.
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