To curb rampant vote-buying and completely safeguard absolute ballot secrecy, the electoral commission rigorously bans all mobile phones at polling stations during the latest round of high-stakes mini-polls.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has officially enforced a strict, non-negotiable ban on the use of mobile phones inside all active polling booths as highly contested, crucial regional by-elections finally get underway.

This decisive, deeply uncompromising administrative measure actively aims to totally eradicate the growing, highly illegal trend of corrupt voters photographing their marked ballots. It is a critical, absolutely vital step in heavily protecting the fundamental, absolute integrity of Kenya's deeply fragile democratic electoral process from sophisticated, modern technological manipulation.

Safeguarding the Core Democratic Process

Speaking with absolute, undeniable authority ahead of the highly anticipated Thursday polls, IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon issued a stark, highly public warning to all registered, participating voters. He explicitly noted that during the highly contentious previous by-elections held on November 27, 2025, several corrupt individuals were actively observed blatantly photographing their fully marked ballot papers and brazenly sharing the highly illegal images on massive public social media platforms. This alarming, highly illegal conduct directly threatens the absolute core of free and fair national elections.

Ethekon forcefully emphasized that the absolute secrecy of the democratic ballot is a deeply entrenched, highly fundamental constitutional right explicitly guaranteed under Article 38(3)(b) and Article 81(e)(i) of the current Kenyan Constitution. The electoral agency firmly stated that any deliberate, calculated act that compromises this vital secrecy completely undermines the entire institutional integrity of the massive electoral process. By generating undeniable, digital photographic proof of their specific vote, deeply vulnerable citizens are dangerously exposed to massive, organized undue influence, aggressive violent coercion, and highly lucrative, systematic vote-buying.

Strict Administrative Controls and Future Implications

To actively, aggressively prevent such highly illegal, deeply destructive occurrences, the IEBC has rapidly implemented sweeping, highly robust administrative control measures at all active polling stations across Isiolo South, West Kabras, Muminji, and Evurore. Heavily armed security personnel and highly trained presiding officers are now under strict, absolute orders to instantly confiscate any visible smart devices actively used within the deeply restricted, highly secure voting zones.

These massive, unprecedented protective measures are intended solely to completely protect deeply vulnerable voters and entirely uphold the absolute, non-negotiable transparency of the entire election process. The commission has also successfully finalized all massive logistical preparations, heavily deploying highly secure, perfectly configured Kenya Integrated Election Management System (KIEMS) kits for absolute, flawless biometric voter identification.

• Photographing or digitally recording a fully marked, official ballot paper strictly constitutes a massive, highly punishable electoral offence.
• Highly certified, fully verified digital registers have been publicly displayed to seamlessly allow rapid, flawless verification of all voter details.
• Absolutely no highly disruptive, unauthorized "super agents" are legally permitted to operate within any active polling or main tallying centers.
• All form of active political campaigning or illegal voter influence on polling day remains strictly, heavily prohibited by national law.

A Critical Test for Institutional Integrity

This highly restricted, heavily monitored mini-poll serves as a massive, absolutely critical litmus test for the IEBC’s absolute structural capacity to heavily manage increasingly complex, highly digital electoral fraud. As massive smartphone penetration rapidly peaks across the entire East African nation, the commission must continuously, aggressively evolve its massive, systemic operational tactics to stay entirely ahead of highly organized, massively funded political syndicates.

By actively drawing a highly visible, absolute line in the sand today, the electoral body is sending a highly clear, completely unequivocal message to all aggressive political actors ahead of the highly anticipated, massive 2027 General Elections.

"Any act that compromises this vital secrecy deeply exposes our voters to dangerous coercion and constitutes a massive electoral offence," Ethekon declared, firmly securing the absolute sanctity of the vote.