The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has issued a high-level public warning cautioning Kenyans against a surge of fraudulent job advertisements circulating on social media.

As the country steadily gears up for the 2027 General Elections and upcoming by-elections, cyber-fraudsters are aggressively exploiting the high public expectations for electoral recruitment.

The rampant spread of these deceptive portals not only threatens the financial security and personal data of vulnerable job seekers but also risks undermining the public trust in the institutional integrity of the electoral commission.

The Anatomy of the Scam

In a strongly worded statement, the electoral body clarified that it has identified at least four sophisticated versions of fake recruitment adverts. These notices are meticulously designed to mimic official IEBC communications, falsely claiming to offer mass countrywide vacancies for polling clerks, assistants, and temporary electoral personnel. The scammers utilize unauthorized links, directing unsuspecting applicants to dubious websites.

Once on these fake portals, victims are routinely coerced into providing sensitive personal information or making unauthorized upfront payments as "processing fees"—a practice the IEBC vehemently states is never part of its official recruitment process. The timing of the scams is particularly predatory, coinciding with the commission's legitimate call for election observers and media practitioners ahead of the critical February 2026 by-elections.

• Fake recruitment links demand unauthorized personal data and processing payments.
• IEBC confirmed its sole legitimate recruitment portal is jobs.iebc.or.ke.
• No current recruitment for polling clerks has been authorized or announced.

Protecting Job Seekers

The surge in job scams is part of a broader, alarming trend targeting state corporations. Similar incidents have recently plagued the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and the Kenya Rural Roads Authority, prompting widespread government concern. The authorities have even tied sophisticated fake job schemes to international human trafficking rings, noting recent repatriations of Kenyans lured into the Russia-Ukraine conflict zones under false pretenses.

The IEBC has urgently advised the public to rely exclusively on verified channels, specifically its official website (iebc.or.ke) and its verified social media handles (@IEBCKenya). The commission reiterated that it will never conduct candidate assessments via random text messages or request any form of monetary compensation from job applicants.

"Applicants must ignore any messages, links, or adverts claiming to offer IEBC jobs outside our official channels. Your vigilance is your first line of defense."