IEBC puts parties on notice over gender balance in 2027 nominations
IEBC Commissioner Ann Nderitu said the commission intends to examine party nomination lists against the two-thirds gender threshold.
Nairobi, Kenya - Political parties in Kenya could face stricter oversight of their candidate lists in preparation for the 2027 General Election, as the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) seeks to enforce the constitutional requirement of gender representation. IEBC Commissioner Ann Nderitu announced that the commission will scrutinize party nomination lists against the two-thirds gender threshold, with the aim of increasing the number of women on the ballot.
The commission has emphasized that political parties have a strong influence over the number of women who ultimately secure elected positions due to their control over the nomination process. Nderitu called for serious discussions with political parties to ensure women are nominated for constituencies where they have established political support. The IEBC seeks to make compliance with the gender requirement a checkable prerequisite for candidates to appear on the ballot.
This renewed push for gender balance comes as Parliament considers various proposals to address the longstanding failure to achieve the two-thirds gender rule in the National Assembly and Senate. While the requirement has been met in county assemblies through gender top-up mechanisms, its implementation at the national level has not been successful.
The IEBC has proposed amendments to the Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which would require political parties to comply with the two-thirds gender principle when nominating parliamentary candidates.
NGEC officials argued that the issue should not be framed as a contest between men and women but as a matter of fulfilling a constitutional obligation. NGEC chief executive Purity Ngina stressed that the right of voters to choose their representatives should be distinguished from the State's responsibility to ensure the final composition of Parliament complies with the Constitution.
The Ministry has submitted a report and draft legislative proposals to Parliament, proposing a top-up mechanism for the National Assembly and Senate to address any gender deficit after an election.
Written by urgent.news from Capital FM Kenya's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
