Kenya's electoral commission sworn in ahead of 2027 polls

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Kenya's electoral commissioners were sworn in on Friday, following months of legal wrangling, paving the way for polls in 2027.

The Independent Electoral Board of Commission (IEBC) plays a crucial role -- supervising elections, counting votes and registering voters and candidates -- in the east African nation where recent elections have all been contested.

The appointments had been delayed following legal petitions from activists questioning the "qualifications, integrity, relevance and meritocracy of the candidates", according to the High Court ruling that dismissed their petition on Thursday.

It comes as Kenya sees increasingly violent rallies against police brutality and corruption, with protesters calling for President William Ruto to serve only one term.

"The stakes could not be higher," Chief Justice Martha Karua said after the inauguration ceremony.

"You are taking office at a time when our nation is undergoing a period of great reckoning, a moment when Kenyans, especially our young people, are expressing discontent, are expressing frustrations with public institutions," she said.

"The cry from every corner of our nation is for integrity," she added.

Ruto narrowly won the last election in 2022 over long-time opponent Raila Odinga.

Odinga contested the results, alleging fraud and that the IEBC's servers had been hacked to insert falsified results, but his accusations were later dismissed by the Supreme Court.

Since 2002, no presidential election outcome in Kenya has gone uncontested, with Odinga claiming to have been cheated of victory in the 2007, 2013 and 2017 polls.