The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has rolled out stringent administrative controls, including a ban on mobile phones in voting booths, as residents cast their ballots in critical regional by-elections.

Voting in the Isiolo South Constituency and Mbeere North Wards kicked off smoothly Thursday morning, with polling stations opening promptly at 6:00 AM EAT as dedicated voters participated in the critical exercise.

The heavily monitored by-elections are being viewed as a crucial litmus test for the IEBC's newly implemented security protocols, aimed at completely eradicating rampant electoral malpractices such as illicit vote buying.

Early Turnout and Heightened Security Protocols

As the glowing sun rose over the vast, arid landscapes of Isiolo South and the lush, green terrains of Mbeere North, highly expectant voters began forming long, orderly queues at heavily guarded polling stations. A comprehensive spot check conducted early Thursday morning revealed that extensive, highly visible security measures had been meticulously deployed in and tightly around Garbatulla High School, which has been officially designated as the central tallying centre for the crucial Isiolo South parliamentary race. Armed police officers maintained a highly visible, robust presence, ensuring an atmosphere of complete absolute calm and strict orderliness.

The Isiolo South seat dramatically fell vacant following the highly tragic death of the former area lawmaker, Mohamed Tubi Bidu, in late November of the previous year. In a deeply fascinating, almost cinematic political twist, the high-stakes parliamentary race has devolved into an intense sibling rivalry. Tubi Mohammed, fiercely representing the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), is aggressively squaring off directly against his own sister, Bina Tubi, who is heavily contesting on a vibrant Jubilee Party ticket. On the tense Wednesday preceding the polls, both deeply invested candidates jointly witnessed senior IEBC officials formally break the heavily guarded seals of the strategic ballot boxes, signifying the official commencement of the electoral process.

The Strict Ban on Mobile Phones in Voting Booths

In a bold, highly unprecedented move designed specifically to fiercely protect the absolute sanctity of the democratic process, the IEBC firmly confirmed that voters would be strictly prohibited from accessing the enclosed voting booths with their personal mobile phones. Speaking directly in Isiolo South Constituency, senior IEBC Commissioner Dr. Moses Mukhwana explicitly stated that all participating voters must unconditionally surrender their electronic devices to authorized IEBC officials before successfully electing their new, desired representatives.

This drastic, highly necessary measure was heavily necessitated by the deeply concerning, highly illegal conduct observed during the previous November 2025 by-elections. During that specific cycle, numerous defiant voters brazenly photographed their marked ballot papers immediately after voting and subsequently posted the illicit images across various social media platforms. Commissioner Mukhwana correctly noted that such highly reckless actions fundamentally violate Article 38, Section 3B of the Kenyan Constitution, which absolutely guarantees the strict, uncompromising secrecy of the ballot.

Safeguarding Electoral Integrity and Credibility

The rampant, highly illegal practice of photographing marked ballots is not merely an innocent social media trend; it is a highly calculated, deeply dangerous mechanism heavily utilized to facilitate widespread vote buying and severe voter coercion. By forcing corrupt voters to produce concrete, digital photographic evidence of their specific choices, unscrupulous politicians can effectively purchase loyalties with absolute, terrifying certainty. The IEBC's strict new administrative controls are explicitly designed to completely dismantle this highly toxic, deeply corrupt transactional system.

Isiolo South Returning Officer Abdi Sheikh firmly confirmed that all deployed IEBC officials had been rigorously, intensely trained on perfectly executing these new measures.

• Device Confiscation: Secure, highly organized temporary storage of all mobile phones prior to booth entry.
• Enhanced Surveillance: Increased, highly vigilant physical monitoring by trained clerks to prevent any hidden cameras.
• Voter Education: Clear, concise on-site explanations regarding the severe legal consequences of ballot exposure.
• Rapid Identification: Efficient, seamless use of upgraded KIEMS kits to accurately verify voter identities without unnecessary delays.

These comprehensive, highly layered measures are absolutely vital for ensuring the exercise remains entirely free, demonstrably fair, and completely credible.

The Broader Political Implications

As the heavily contested voting quietly progressed towards the strict 5:00 PM EAT closure, the underlying, intense political stakes remained incredibly high. Beyond the deeply personal sibling clash in Isiolo South, the Mbeere North Wards (specifically Muminji and Evurore) represent critical, highly contested battlegrounds for the ruling UDA party and the rapidly consolidating United Opposition factions. The final, verified outcomes of these localized mini-polls will inevitably be heavily scrutinized for broader, national political trends ahead of the looming 2027 general elections.

The IEBC has powerfully assured the public that in cases where initial opening was slightly delayed due to unforeseen, unavoidable logistical circumstances, the exact time lost will be fully, fairly compensated. As the complex tallying process finally begins, the entire nation keenly watches to see if these strict, new anti-corruption measures will successfully deliver a truly unblemished, fully legitimate democratic outcome.

"The absolute secrecy of the ballot is the very bedrock of genuine democracy; any deliberate attempt to compromise it is a direct, violent assault on the fundamental rights of the Kenyan people," stated an election observer stationed in Garbatulla.