The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has put politicians on notice ,sponsor violence and you may not appear on the 2027 ballot.
Speaking in a recent interview, IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon said the commission will strictly enforce the Electoral Code of Conduct to protect the integrity of next year’s polls.
He warned that candidates found hiring, paying or harbouring gangs to disrupt rivals risk fines, sanctions, and disqualification.
“We cannot allow one person to mess up an election funded by taxpayers just so they can get a job as an MP,” Ethekon said, adding that the commission has powers to sanction, fine or even disqualify offenders.
In extreme cases, IEBC could also cancel elections in areas where insecurity makes a free poll impossible.
Commissioner Dr Alutalala Mukhwana, who chairs the Code of Conduct Committee, told MPs the agency will be “very indiscriminate” and will not spare any party or candidate.
Under Section 67 of the Elections Act, serious breaches can lead to removal from the race after a fair hearing.IEBC urged the public to document incidents and submit evidence to its enforcement committee.
Ethekon also called on political leaders to stop funding “goons-for-hire,” noting that youth are being used to cause chaos instead of engaging voters peacefully.
With voter registration underway and tensions rising in by-elections, the commission says peaceful campaigns are not optiona they are a constitutional requirements.
