Maraga's Reform Coalition Has Five Demands for the IEBC
On 15 September 2026, the People's Coalition on Electoral Reforms, led by former Chief Justice David Maraga, gave the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) five demands. It wants no national tallying centre for the presidential vote, an independent audit of the voter register, mandatory five-year jail terms for serious election offences, election technology from several vendors instead of one, and open recruitment of returning officers. None of the demands has legal force, and as of 23 September 2026 the IEBC had adopted none of them.
Who is in the coalition
The coalition set out its demands at the Sarova Panafric Hotel in Nairobi. According to the Daily Nation, the leaders on the platform were Maraga, who is the United Green Movement (UGM) presidential candidate, Caleb Amisi (Saboti), Caroli Omondi (Suba South), Thirdway Alliance leader Ekuru Aukot, and Justin Muturi (Siakago), the Democratic Party leader and former Speaker of the National Assembly.
"Kenya cannot afford another election whose credibility is contested after ballots are cast," Maraga said, as reported by the Nation. Two days later, on 17 September, he left for a tour of the United States that was scheduled to run until 5 October.
The five demands and the deadlines attached
| Demand | What the coalition asked for | Its own deadline |
|---|---|---|
| No national tallying centre | Presidential results declared at polling stations and constituency tallying centres only, with constituency servers the media and parties can read | Elections Act amendments by 30 November 2026 |
| Independent register audit | An outside auditor hired, a cleaned register, publication and voter verification | Auditor by 15 November 2026; clean register by 15 February 2027; publication by 10 March 2027; verification by 10 April 2027 |
| Tougher penalties | Mandatory five-year custodial sentences, with no option of a fine, for altering results, compromising technology or barring agents | Election Offences amendments by 30 November 2026 |
| Multi-vendor technology | A modular system from several suppliers, public participation in procurement, a full mock election | Technology policy by 30 September 2026; mock election before 27 July 2027 |
| Open recruitment | Competitive hiring of returning officers and county election managers, published longlists and shortlists, multi-party oversight | Not dated |
The 30 September date for a technology policy fell after this article was prepared. Whether the IEBC published one by then was not known on 23 September.
Omondi put the first demand most bluntly: "There shall be no national tallying centre by the IEBC or the Chairperson of the Commission at Bomas or elsewhere." Maraga cited Articles 86 and 138 of the Constitution and the Maina Kiai judgment on the finality of polling-station results, Mwakilishi reported. BallotWinners has an explainer on what the national tallying centre can and cannot change.
The court ruled a week later
On 22 September 2026, Justice Gregory Mutai of the High Court dismissed the petitions led by Okiya Omtatah (Busia) against national tallying. The court held that the IEBC must verify and tally the presidential vote nationally and that the declaration at the national tallying centre is binding. It also held that the IEBC cannot alter results declared at constituency level, and that polling-station counts prevail where electronic and paper records differ.
As a matter of law, that ruling rejects the coalition's first demand, though it accepts part of the reasoning behind it. On 23 September, The Standard reported that the coalition would go to the Court of Appeal. The same day, Citizen Digital reported that Caroli Omondi planned to table an Elections Amendment Bill in the week that followed, limiting the IEBC chairperson to adding up and announcing constituency results.
The case against the demands
The ruling side pushed back. People Daily reported that Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale (Garissa Township) challenged the proposal to scrap the national tallying centre. On 17 September, Vincent Kawaya (Mwala) of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) told a meeting in Machakos that the tallying centre "is not a polling station, and no election takes place there", Kenyans.co.ke reported, and asked who would add up the national total without one.
On the register, the IEBC said on 20 August 2026 that an independent firm would carry out a forensic audit before the register is certified. So both sides expect an audit; they disagree on when, and on who picks the auditor. Commissioner Alutalala Mukhwana said fingerprint and iris checks on the KIEMS kits make it impossible to vote in a dead person's name. The coalition's register dates are its own and bind nobody.
What would have to change
Two of the five demands need Parliament. Removing national tallying and imposing mandatory jail terms both mean amending statutes, and a bill must pass the National Assembly and be signed before it binds the IEBC. The audit timetable, the technology choices and the recruitment rules are largely within the commission's own powers. The wider reform debate is covered in Kenya's 10 minimum electoral reforms and what the reform argument is actually about.
The coalition has also threatened action outside Parliament. Muturi said that if the reforms are not implemented before the August 2027 election, Kenyans would pursue "every lawful constitutional, statutory and international avenue available", up to "the People exercising their sovereignty directly". He has also said street protests cannot settle electoral questions.
What to watch
First, the coalition's filing at the Court of Appeal, and the Elections Amendment Bill Omondi said he would table. After that, the 15 November 2026 date the coalition set for hiring a register auditor. However the tallying fight ends, the presidential result will still move up through Forms 34A, 34B and 34C.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Maraga's five demands for the IEBC?
No national presidential tallying centre, an independent audit of the voter register, mandatory five-year jail terms for serious election offences, multi-vendor election technology, and open recruitment of returning officers. The People's Coalition on Electoral Reforms set them out on 15 September 2026.
Is the national tallying centre at Bomas legal?
Yes. On 22 September 2026 the High Court held that the IEBC must verify and tally presidential results nationally and that the national declaration is binding, but that it cannot alter results declared at constituency level.
Are the coalition's deadlines legally binding on the IEBC?
No. Dates such as 15 November 2026 for hiring a register auditor are the coalition's own demands. Only a law, a court order or the IEBC's own decision can bind the commission.
Who is in the People's Coalition on Electoral Reforms?
David Maraga leads it. MPs Caleb Amisi and Caroli Omondi, Thirdway Alliance leader Ekuru Aukot and Democratic Party leader Justin Muturi appeared with him on 15 September 2026.