Kenya’s leading editors have urged the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to begin structured engagement with the media well ahead of the 2027 General Election. Speaking during a high-level consultative meeting in Nairobi on Wednesday, the Kenya Editors’ Guild (KEG) called for early planning to avoid the pitfalls that undermined the credibility and transparency of the 2022 elections.
KEG President Zubeidah Kananu, addressing the newly constituted IEBC team for the first time since their swearing-in, emphasized the need to re-establish joint frameworks that had previously worked-such as the media-IEBC liaison task force and dedicated training programs. She noted that early collaboration in 2021 had delivered positive milestones, including a dedicated media centre, but warned that the 2022 election still suffered from key failures like poor results transmission systems, inadequate staffing, and lack of a central tallying hub.
The editors demanded clarity on several urgent issues ahead of 2027, including the electoral calendar, the timeline for voter registration, long-delayed boundary reviews, and plans to replace ageing electoral infrastructure. Ms Kananu stressed that while budget considerations are valid, cost-cutting must not be allowed to compromise the quality and transparency of the election process. “Operational readiness is not negotiable,” she said.
KEG also raised alarm over rising political intolerance, pointing to the recent disruption of public rallies, hate speech, and the slow enforcement of electoral laws. The guild urged the IEBC to work closely with security agencies to ensure journalists and voters are protected throughout the electoral cycle.
With artificial intelligence and deepfakes expected to distort public discourse in the lead-up to the polls, the editors proposed a joint IEBC-media forum on tech and elections. This, they said, would support stronger fact-checking frameworks and enable timely public awareness campaigns against disinformation.
The guild also pressed for a more inclusive electoral process, urging the IEBC to prioritise access for women, youth, persons with disabilities, and Kenyans in the diaspora.
In return, the media committed to reviewing and updating their own election coverage guidelines, enhancing newsroom capacity for results coverage, supporting safety protocols, and running joint trainings with the Commission to ensure responsible, factual, and timely reporting.
“We are ready to work hand-in-hand with the IEBC before, during, and after the 2027 elections,” Ms Kananu said, underscoring that early collaboration would help rebuild public trust and reinforce Kenya’s democratic institutions.
She concluded by inviting IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon to attend the upcoming Annual Editors’ Convention, where media freedom and public confidence in elections are expected to be key themes.
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