Independent Electoral Commission Research Articles

The Effect of Performance Appraisal Strategies on Employee Performance in IEBC Nyanza Central and South Region, Kenya

Performance appraisal at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries commission’s staff remains a challenge. Due to poor administration and supervision of the performance contracts, employees have developed negative perception and reduced morale to embrace performance contracts. This affects negatively on work performance. The purpose of this study was to establish the influence of performance appraisal on the performance of Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission staff in Nyanza Central and South Region, Kenya. The study adopted McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y. The study was modeled on a case study design. The population of study consisted of the 100 employees working under the arrangement of performance appraisal in the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission in Nyanza Central and South Regions. Instruments of data collection were questionnaires and interview schedule. Descriptive analysis was done to study distributions of variables in terms of means and standard deviation, while correlation analysis was used to show the direction and strength of the independent variables. Data which was collected was analyzed both descriptively and in correlation analysis. Data was presented using percentages, graphs and charts. The study anticipated that its findings would help build in the body of knowledge. The study found that performance appraisals impact employee performance in the IEBC Nyanza Central and South Region, Kenya. The study recommends that the IEBC in Kenya, in partnership with the IRA, should revise their performance appraisal policy to better support employees. The IEBC should incorporate effective reward management into their personal rewards. Furthermore, the IEBC in Kenya should enhance their training programs to include academic support and develop a comprehensive career development policy.

The Application of Positivism in Kenya: an Analysis of the Supreme Court Decision in Odinga & Another V Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission & 2 Others (2017) Eklr

The Application of Positivism in Kenya: an Analysis of the Supreme Court Decision in Odinga & Another V Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission & 2 Others (2017) Eklr

Public trust deficit in democratic state and political institutions: Ominous Signposts for South Africa

This paper uses politico-social capital theorisation of the relationship between public trust and democracy in order to demonstrate the interdependence of the African National Congress’ (ANC’s) declining electoral fortunes and the increasing public trust deficits in South Africa’s state, constitutional democracy and political institutions. As desktop-based research, the paper conducts literature survey to distils the relationship between public trust, as social capital, in institutions of society, and electoral performance and formation of societal leadership vacuum, within complexities of the political-economy and political culture and system such as those entrenched in South Africa under the ANC’s 28-year rule. The paper analyses statistical evidence from Afrobarometer’s 2022 survey about South Africans’ public trust in state and political institutions from 2006 to 2021, as well as national, provincial and local government election results from the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) from 1994 to 2019, to corroborate its theoretical framing. It makes three findings, thus: there is a direct relationship between the ANC’s declining electoral fortunes and the erosion of public trust in institutions of society; the ANC’s 28-years of state governance has created an ominous societal leadership vacuum, setting South Africa’s democracy on the precipice of civil strife; and, the ANC’s declining electoral fortunes will persist into the foreseeable future because public trust is hard to regain and sustain once eroded.

Local Government Election Management in Lagos State and the Influence Of A Zero-Sum Game

By intent and definition, the Local Government in a democracy is supposed to be the closest government to the people and its administrator should be decided by its residents through a free and fair election. But in Nigeria, the works of the election management bodies that conduct Local Government elections in the States are cumbersome because the Governors have substantial control over them. For instance, the Chairman of the Lagos States Independent Electoral Commission is nominated by the Governor, who also has a major stake in the outcome of Local Government elections. The Local Government election in Nigeria is a zero-sum game for the ruling party in the State, as election into all the Local Government administrative centers is seen as a 'must-win' for the party of the Governor. One of the reasons for this is that Local Governments in Nigeria receive a monthly statutory allocation from the National Revenue. Also, local government official positions that include: the Chairman, Vice Chairman, Supervisory Councilors and other Councilors are used by the Governors and other ruling elites in the States to ‘settle’ loyal party members in their localities. This paper uses Lagos State to highlight the reality of the management of local government elections in Nigeria. It submits that the mode of configuration and procedure of local government election administration must be changed to a more transparent and unbiased one before the election can be taken seriously by the residents of the State.

Audit Committee Characteristics and Performance of The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, Kenya

Worldwide, the effectiveness of the government plays a significant role in fostering economic growth within a nation. This is because the government is responsible for nurturing a skilled workforce, creating a business-friendly regulatory and investment climate, and developing the necessary infrastructure for the flow of goods and information. In this context, the audit committee serves a vital function by overseeing and helping the board monitor an organization's responsibilities, making their role crucial in ensuring sound financial management. In Kenya like other developing countries, the public expectations and priorities are changing. Assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of the public sector through performance measurement has been widely acknowledged as essential. Despite a growing demand for public services, the prevailing financial limitations force numerous public organizations to accomplish their goals with fewer available resources. However, these can only be assured through effective auditing of the public sector. Recently, the government of Kenya has recommended the constitution of audit committees of all government ministries. The purpose of the research is to explore how audit committee qualities affect the IEBC's performance in Kenya. The specific objectives were to determine the effect of audit committee member qualifications, size, independence and gender diversity on the performance of the independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission in Kenya. The population of study was the management staff at the IEBC secretariat who total to 129. This consisted of 129 respondents. A sample of 65 respondents, constituting 50% of the target population, was randomly selected for this study. Primary data was collected utilizing self-administered semi-structured questionnaires. This analysis was helped by the employment of SPSS software. The findings were disseminated using various visual aids such as tables, charts, graphs, frequencies, and percentages. The research findings from this study offered an opportunity for individual parastatals and the public sector to assess their audit committee characteristics in comparison to other entities within the same sector in the country. This assessment enabled them to identify both the strengths and weaknesses in their audit committee practices.

Teacher-Learner Interactions and Academic Self-Concept in Informal Settlement Primary Schools in Kenya

This study investigates the influence of teacher-learner interactions on pupils' academic self-concept in primary schools located in informal settlements in Kibra sub-county, Nairobi County, Kenya. The study employed a survey design. The target population comprised 138 head teachers, 203 teacher counsellors, and 9536 learners in Class VII, totaling 9877 respondents, from which a sample of 385 respondents was determined using Yamane’s formula. Stratified sampling was used to create seven (7) different strata based on the zones, according to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission of 2012. From each zone, five (5) schools, one (1) head teacher, and one (1) teacher-counsellor were selected using purposive sampling. However, from each sampled school, nine (9) learners in Class VII were selected using a simple random method to avoid bias and favouritism. This sampling procedure involved a sample of 35 head teachers, 35 teacher-counsellors, and 315 learners in Class VII. Questionnaires were used to collect data from learners in Class VII, as were interview guides for head teachers and teacher-counsellors. Piloting was conducted among 38 respondents from primary schools in informal settlements in Kibra sub-county to establish validity and reliability. The opinions of educational psychology professionals were used to confirm the study's validity. The split-half method was used to calculate reliability, and the reliability coefficient (r = 0.728; p<0.05) at the 0.05 level of significance revealed a high degree of internal dependability. The goals guided the theme analysis of qualitative data, which was then presented in narrative style. Statistical Packages for the Social Sciences (SPSS 23) was used to do a descriptive analysis of the quantitative data (frequency counts, mean, and percentages) and an inferential analysis in order to evaluate the hypotheses, and the results were shown in frequency tables and bar graphs. The results revealed that teacher support, supervision, encouragement, and individualised teaching strategies play a crucial role in shaping pupils' perceptions of their academic abilities. The findings emphasise the significance of these interactions in fostering a positive learning environment and improving academic self-concept. It is concluded that effective teacher-learner interactions can positively impact students' self-perception and motivation to excel academically. Recommendations include promoting training for teachers to enhance their interactions with students, thereby contributing to improved academic self-concept in primary school settings.

Effect of Mobile Network Operator Facilitated Digital Credit on the Financial Health of Youth Borrowers in Kibera, Nairobi County, Kenya

Purpose: The increased advancements in technological integration within the financial sector has led to development of new credit platforms which improve access to borrowing among the youth. Further, with proliferation of digital lending platforms which provide unsecured loans has led to a debt chokehold among the youth. This has resulted in poor financial health among the youth. The general objective of the study was to analyze the effect of mobile network operator facilitated digital credit on the financial health of youth borrowers in Kibera, Nairobi County, Kenya.
 Methodology: The study employed a correlational research design. The population of interest for this study was youth borrowers who live and work in Kibera, Nairobi County. The sampling frame for this study was active users of digital credit who are between 18 and 35 years, residing in Kibera. The list was obtained from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission’s (IEBC) voter register for Kibera Ward. A stratified sampling technique was used to select the respondents. The sample size was 399 respondents. Data was collected using structured questionnaires. SPSS was used to aid in the data analysis. A descriptive statistical technique of analysis was used and shall entail the determination of the mean and frequency distribution of the datasets. Further inferential analysis was conducted using both correlation and regression analysis. The data was presented in tables and figures.
 Findings: The study was able to obtain an 88 percent response rate, signifying high degree of accessibility of the youth in the area. Of these, most were male, while only 107 of the responses were from female respondents. The study established that mobile-facilitated digital credit on youth borrower’s financial health has a positive and significant effect on youth’s financial health. The study concludes that mobile network operator facilitated digital credit has a significant and positive effect on the borrower’s financial health. The study concludes that mobile operator facilitated loans are fast and easily accessible which increases their effectiveness to the user.
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Policy and Practice: The study recommends that mobile money operators that provide digital loans reduce their operation rates considering they have high interest rates for the small loans they offer. The study also calls for the development of progressive peer to peer regulations that would improve the penetration of these loan devices that have been identified as key to young entrepreneurs.

Role of Voter Education and Performance of Electoral Management Body: A Case of Independent Electoral and Boundary Commission Kenya

This paper focuses on the role of voter education on performance of electoral management body. The study is undertaken at Independent Electoral and Boundary Commission (IEBC) Kenya. The study was grounded on civic engagement theory. The study was a descriptive research design investigation. The target population involved 772 commission officers with a sample size of 264 based on the Cochran formula. The IEBC officers were selected through use of stratified random sampling technique. The data collection tools were the questionnaire and interview schedule. Data collected from the field was analysed using qualitative and inferential statistics. Qualitative data analysis involved categorising responses from interviews and open-ended questions into themes and sub themes while inferential statistics was analysed using the Regression Model to test the hypothesis. The study found out that one of the pre-electoral strategies that IEBC focused on was voter education to the members of the public on regular occasion. The respondents indicated that the EMB conducted regular mobilisation campaigns jointly with other stakeholders to inform members of the public on matters relating to commission mandate in elections and boundary delimitations. Correlation statistics revealed existence of significant positive effect of pre-electoral voter education strategy and IEBC Kenya performance. It was concluded that voter education strategy played a significant role in predicting IEBC performance in Kenya. The study recommends that voter education needs to be done on continuous basis rather than waiting one year to the general election by regularly seeking funds support from government and non-government sources to support voter education

Governance, Recycled Politicians and Recycling Politics in Nigeria

The politics of recycling, a political system where the same set of people continue to dominate the political affairs of a given country, is one of the challenges undermining political development and good governance in Nigeria. The study, therefore, analyzes the effects of the politics of recycling on Nigeria's governance and administrative system. The qualitative study covers Nigeria's Second Republic from October 1, 1979, to Nigeria's Fourth Republic, which commenced on May 29, 1999 – 2022. The data for the study were gathered from primary and secondary sources. Primary data were gathered through interviews with a number of respondents comprising a Journalist, Engineer, Lecturer, Doctoral Student, Administrator, Lawyer, Human Rights Activist, and Businessmen. A convenience sampling technique was used to select the available and willing respondents to participate in the study. In addition, the researcher's close observations of events in Nigeria form part of the data for the study. The secondary data were gathered through official documents, textbooks, journals, and internet sources. The data collected were analyzed using the content analysis method. The study adopted the Recycling Theory of Abiku to analyze recycled politicians and their antecedents in Nigeria's political activities. According to African mythology, Abiku personifies a child who dies and is reborn repeatedly into the same family and causes pain to its hosts each time the child comes. Nigeria's political class, in a similar manner to Abiku, has continued to play recycling politics without offering anything towards the progress and development of the country, thereby repeatedly leaving a cycle that causes pain to Nigerians. The study concluded that recycling or parading the same set of politicians in the governance and administrative affairs of the country is inimical to the country's political, social, and economic development. The study recommended that the electorates must rise to crush the recycled politicians' antics and tactics and vote for new-breed politicians with impeccable character and proven integrity. Pressure should be mounted on the Independent Electoral Commission by journalists, civil society, national and international observers, as well as other stakeholders on the need to conduct free and fair elections in the country.

The Influence of Internal Control Effectiveness on Corruption Prevention with Performance Accountability as an Intervening Variable

This study aims to determine the effect of internal control effectiveness, budget participation, and apparatus competence on corruption prevention with performance accountability as intervening variables. This study is on the Independent Electoral Commission in Aceh Province and the General Election Commission in North Sumatra Province with a total of 58 work units with data analysis using multiple linear regression. The data uses a questionnaire; the financial manager, the respondent, is given a questionnaire using digital assistance, namely the Google form. This study used data quality tests, classical assumption tests, and computer-assisted hypothesis testing through the IBM SPSS for Windows program. The results show that the effectiveness of internal control, budget participation, apparatus competency, and performance accountability have an impact on preventing corruption in the Independent Electoral Commission in Aceh Province and the General Election Commission in North Sumatra Province. These results indicate that the Effectiveness of Internal Control, Budget Participation, and Apparatus Competence affect accountability at the Independent Electoral Commission in Aceh Province and the Provincial Election Commission in North Sumatra. At the same time, the Effectiveness of Internal Control, Budget Participation, and Apparatus Competence influence Corruption Prevention through Performance Accountability at the Independent Electoral Commission in Aceh Province and the Provincial General Election Commission in North Sumatra.

The transition and formation of government after Lesotho’s 2022 elections

Most assessments and analyses of Lesotho’s elections have focused on the post-election conflict. There has been little attention to the role of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) as the key player with the constitutional mandate to ensure credible, free, and fair electoral processes. During the polls on 7 October 2022, the role of the IEC came to the fore in terms of the extent of their preparedness for and actual performance in managing the electoral processes. Adopting a qualitative approach that relies on interviews with purposefully selected respondents and document analysis, this paper assesses these two main aspects of the IEC. The paper argues that compared to previous elections from 2012, the IEC does not seem to have been adequately prepared to manage the October 2022 elections, and as such, it had a poor performance this time.

Effect of Digital Credit on the Financial Health of Youth Borrowers in Kibera, Nairobi County

The increased advancements in technological integration within the financial sector has led to development of new credit platforms which improve access to borrowing among the youth. Further, with proliferation of digital lending platforms which provide unsecured loans has led to a debt chokehold among the youth. This has resulted in poor financial health among the youth. Hence it’s vital to understand how various digital credit platforms have contributed to financial health of borrowers and help in advancing policy and practical solutions. The general objective of the study was to analyze the effect of digital credit on the financial health of youth borrowers in Kibera, Nairobi County. The study specifically analysed the effects of mobile network operator facilitated digital credit, commercial bank-based digital credit and fintech based digital credit on the financial health of youth borrowers in Kibera, Nairobi County. The study employed a correlational research design. The population of interest was youth borrowers who live and work in Kibera, Nairobi County. The sampling frame was active users of digital credit who are between 18 and 35 years, residing in Kibera. The list was obtained from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission’s voter register for Kibera Ward. A stratified sampling technique was used to select the respondents. The sample size was 399 respondents. Data was collected using structured questionnaires. SPSS was used to aid in the data analysis. A descriptive statistical technique of analysis was used and entailed the determination of the mean and frequency distribution of the datasets. Further inferential analysis was conducted using both correlation and regression analysis. The data was presented in tables and figures. The study results shows that mobile network operator facilitated digital credit, Bank-facilitated digital credit and fintech facilitated digital credit has a positive and significant effect on youth’s financial health in Kibera Ward. The study recommends that mobile money operators that provide digital loans reduce their operation rates considering they have high interest rates for the small loans they offer. The study also calls for the development of progressive peer to peer regulations that would improve the penetration of these loan devices. The study recommends improved client assessment to increase borrower’s ability to access funds without long-term history. The study recommends that the firms make attempts to guarantee interoperability between devices as this would significantly improve access for borrowers with older phones.

DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF AN E-VOTING MOBILE APPLICATION

The fundamental right to vote or simply voting in elections forms the basis of democracy. The conduct of periodic, competitive, participatory, credible and non-violent elections is one of the main yardsticks used to determine the democratic condition of a state. In Nigeria, elections have been conducted using the manual system of voting ever since we started practicing democracy in 1999, but these elections using the manual means, have been marred with a lot of electoral malpractices and hitches. These include; violent attacks on the voters, result manipulations, vote buying, remoteness of polling centers etc. These are enough reasons that necessitate the development and implementation of an electronic voting system that goes a long way in addressing most of these problems. Nigeria’s first ever electronic voting election was in introduced on February 6, 2018 in Kaduna state independent electoral commission (KAD-SIECOM). (KAD-SSIECOM) has appointed EMPTECH to provide an integrated electronic voting solution for the purpose of conducting local government council elections in the 23 local government councils of Kaduna state in 2018. The e-voting system aims at eliminating the bottlenecks evident in the manual voting system such as; the lengthy registration process, unnecessary movement of votes units, election violence and ultimately, the incredibility of the votes. This was achieved by developing a time effective registration platform which registers a voter and assigns a voter their voter’s card immediately. The voter also gets to vote from their nearest safe and convenient polling unit and their votes is counted where it belongs. The results obtained from subsequent tests were very impressive in terms of time, security and accuracy as compared to the manual system. Such system with all these capabilities will go a long in ameliorating the aforementioned problems of the existing manual system of voting in the Nigerian electoral process.

Creation of an Internet public sphere by South Africa's Independent Electoral Commission and Elections Canada

A prerequisite for a healthy, sustainable democracy is an informed citizenry that participates inthe democratic process (see Habermas, 1989:49). In recent years much discourse on the mediaand democracy correlation has focused on the potential role of the Internet in facilitating politicalcommunication by establishing a virtual public sphere.This article investigates the extent to which the South African (IEC) and Canadian electoralcommissions’ websites have succeeded in establishing a virtual public sphere. The ElectionsCanada web site (representing an established democracy) has succeeded better at resemblingsome of the normative principles of the public sphere theory than has the IEC.

‘The outcome of a historical process set in motion in 1991’: explaining the failure of incumbency advantage in Zambia’s 2021 election

ABSTRACT This article uses a longitudinal comparative perspective to analyse Zambia's 2021 transfer of power. The article takes the previous elections since the transition to multi-party democracy in 1991 as a body in which patterns of incumbency failure can be seen. It identifies five pervasive patterns that seem present in all polls that have resulted in leadership change or turnovers: a struggling economy with a clear blame orientation, a unified opposition, a depoliticised military, a rather impartial electoral commission, and collective memory of incumbent defeat. The importance of each of these factors varies over time, but collectively they shape election outcomes in decisive ways. Drawing on interviews and newspaper sources, I apply these variables to the 2021 election that resulted in the defeat of President Edgar Lungu and the victory of the opposition candidate. I argue that the repeated failure of incumbency advantage in Zambia reflects the institutionalisation of democratic processes, notably embodied in competitive elections, an increasingly independent electoral commission, effective opposition parties that can devise robust campaign strategies, and a military that continues to choose non- intervention whenever an incumbent is defeated. More broadly, I demonstrate why alternation is becoming routine while the power of incumbency is in decline.

Lebanese Sunni Muslim Politicians’ Narratives on the Political and Religious Leadership of the Lebanese Sunnis: Reconstructing Inclusive Political Leadership in Lebanon

In this article, Sunni Muslims politicians’ narratives on the political and religious leadership of the Lebanese Sunnis are examined in an effort to reconstruct inclusive political leadership in Lebanon. The Lebanese Sunnis are primary actors in the Lebanese politics. The significant role played by Sunnis is recognised in the National Pact 1943, which paved the way for Lebanon’s independence from France together with the Taif Agreement, which ended Lebanon’s civil war. The signing of the agreements culminated into the establishment of the confessional political system in Lebanon and enabled the Sunnis to constitute an integral part of that system. However, Lebanon is still saddled with internal political problems worsened by the struggle for influence over Lebanon from external actors. The overlapping between domestic and foreign factors is critical in constructing Sunni narratives on their leadership. Sunni framing constructions suggest that the Sunni leadership is galvanising the Sunni community to serve its own interests. The disempowerment of Sunnis is mainly attributed to the failure of their political and religious leadership. This article, therefore, argues for the reconstruction of inclusive leadership in Lebanon. This will enable the Lebanese actors to delegitimise identity politics and promote national cohesion and stability. It also recommends the establishment of independent electoral commissions, prohibition of foreign funding of political groupings, and dismantling of the confessional political system in Lebanon.

7 - ‘Open the Servers’: The Implications of Electoral Technology for Kenya’s Democratisation Process


 
 
 Digital technologies for elections were introduced in Kenya with a vision that they would bring election reforms through increasing administrative efficiency, reducing long-term costs, and by enhancing transparency in the electoral process would enhance citizenry inclusivity. Despite the voting exercise taking place without a hitch, the 2017 General Election results were dismissed by various stakeholders who called on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to ‘open the servers’, with witnesses, to use the results inside the servers to verify the ballot papers in the ballot boxes. Promises by IEBC that counting, transmission and verification of results would promote citizens’ rights during the electoral process were not met hence the Swahili phrase, ‘Fungua server’ (Open the servers) was coined. The server became the Holy Grail, the gadget of hope for free and fair elections. Chants of ‘Fungua server’ unveiled the dreaded side of Kenya’s democratisation; of flawed elections and violence that followed. ‘Fungua server’ was a call to free and fair elections. The paradox of technology this article seeks to interrogate was how technology has subverted democratic elections in Kenya; arguing that there is need to demystify the server and focus on electoral transparency as a yardstick of democracy.
 
 
 
 Joyce Omwoha, PhD, Lecturer, Journalism & Media Studies, Technical University of Kenya. Email: joyceomwoha@gmail.com
 
 
 
 
 

The fallacy of 'scientific elections' in the COVID-era: exploring the challenges of managing the 2020-2021 elections in Uganda

COVID-19 broke out in the period that Uganda was due to have presidential and parliamentary elections, posing a very precarious human security challenge. The ruling party (National Resistance Movement; NRM) faced the challenge of passing power to the Speaker of parliament if elections were not to be held. To mitigate the public health challenges and maintain power, the government acquiesced to an election process without public campaigns. Instead, campaigns were to be held over the radio, TV, and social media in what came to be known as 'scientific elections.' However, in a country hamstrung by massive political and bureaucratic corruption and an entrenched regime that uses violence against opponents, little attention was paid to the fairness of the process, especially in terms of access to media resources by the opposition. Conversely, as elections are about crowds and showmanship, the Ugandan Electoral Commission struggled with the ever-evolving electoral campaign process, especially as large spontaneous crowds sprang up on the campaign trail of the political candidates. The opposition needs a large crowd for legitimacy and a show of popularity. To mitigate this, the ruling party used violence against opposition members as an excuse to enforce standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the prevention of COVID-19, yet its candidates were left to gather crowds. This radicalized some of the opposition that used media outlets to call for violence and ethnic cleansing. This qualitative study delves into the extent to which the 'scientific elections' process was designed to produce a fair outcome of the 2021 elections in Uganda. This study uses the rational choice theory to explore the calculations of different stakeholders. The study relies on secondary data, especially available in media outlets, but also primary data through reports and social media and speeches of key figures in the political landscape in Uganda. The study finds that the Independent Electoral Commission was caught between two highly sophisticated opponents and did not have the capacity and agency to enforce the rules in the political game. In the end, the key facets of the 'scientific elections' process were found wanting and did not produce a fair outcome of the 2021 elections in Uganda.

Free, fair and credible? An assessment of Kenya 2017 Election

Periodic, free, fair, and credible elections are one of the undisputed principles of liberal democracy. Kenya embraced multiparty democracy at independence in 1963 and has since used periodic elections as a means of selecting leaders to office. Focusing on Kenya’s national election held on 8 August 2017, this paper evaluates the fundamental requirements for a free, fair, and credible election. To this end, the paper assesses Kenya’s electoral legal framework and its application during the 2017 national elections. In addition, the paper uses primary data by Afrobarometer to explore public opinion on the performance of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), political parties, and the media towards free, fair, and credible elections. This study finds that despite some institutional challenges, Kenya’s 2017 national elections were conducted under a comprehensive electoral legal framework and met the threshold of free, fair, and credible as affirmed by the citizenry through Afrobarometer’s public opinion survey. The positive assessment of universally accepted electoral practice indicators by most of the people affirms that, notable challenges notwithstanding, Kenya’s 2017 national elections were free, fair, and credible, thus endorsing the legitimacy and authority of elected leaders. This argument is cognisant of the election outcome as a fundamental factor in shaping public perception of freeness and fairness in the electoral process.

The adoption of digital technology for South Africa’s 2021 municipal elections, and prospects for the future

This article / study reflects on the digital technologies and online processes adopted for conducting South Africa’s 2021 municipal elections, and the degree to which this encourages the future use of additional digital technologies. It utilises theoretical perceptions of politics and technology to analyse the perspectives of politicians, IEC officials and voters. It discusses the Independent Electoral Commission’s (IEC) use of voter management devices (VMDs) and online voter facilities, which resolved the perennial challenge of double voting. It shows that, due to COVID-19, voter apathy and possibly manual voting, the voter turnout was low. It argues that technological progress made during the 2021 municipal elections should be used to suppress fears over the consequences of electronic voting. Limited access to the internet and electricity blackouts continue to limit the use of digital technology and online process in managing South African elections. However, the IEC could adopt parallel e-voting and manual voting processes, as it did successfully for voter registration during the 2021 municipal elections.