High Court Certifies Urgent Petition Seeking to Stop IEBC Elections Over Boundary Review
News Updated: 24 December 2025 20:12 EAT
The high court of Kenya
The High Court has certified as urgent a constitutional petition filed by lawyer Philip Langat seeking to bar the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) from conducting the February 2026 by-elections and the 2027 General Election over its failure to review constituency and ward boundaries as required by the Constitution.
In the petition, Langat argues that the IEBC has violated Article 89, which requires electoral boundaries to be reviewed at intervals of not less than eight years and not more than twelve years. He states that the last review was carried out in 2012, meaning a fresh delimitation exercise should have been completed by 2024 to comply with constitutional timelines ahead of the next general election.
The petitioner contends that proceeding with elections using outdated boundaries would undermine fair representation, given significant population changes, urban expansion and demographic shifts across the country over the past decade. He is seeking interim orders restraining the IEBC from organising, conducting or supervising any elections until the review is undertaken.
The court has also enjoined the Attorney-General, the Law Society of Kenya and Katiba Institute as interested parties, citing the substantial constitutional issues raised. Directions were issued for the parties to file submissions on an expedited basis, with the matter expected to be handled on priority.
The case introduces fresh uncertainty into Kenya’s electoral preparations, particularly with upcoming by-elections and the 2027 polls on the horizon. The court’s eventual decision is expected to have far-reaching implications on electoral timelines and compliance with constitutional requirements on boundary delimitation.
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FELIX MAKONA
FACT FINDER AND DATA DRIVEN JOURNALIST. DATA MINING AT IT'S BEST. GET FACTS RANGING FROM MATTERS DISABILITY AND INCLUSION, POLITICS, ECONOMY, SPORTS AND GENERAL NEWS AROUND THE WORLD