By Saad Salim,12,October,2026
Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah has moved to the High Court to challenge the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission’s (IEBC) decision to relax several security specifications for ballot papers ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Omtatah, who leads the National Reconstruction Alliance (NRA) Party, wants the court to review and quash the changes, arguing that the commission has not demonstrated that the revised specifications offer security protection equivalent to or stronger than the original requirements.
“Our concern is not that these changes automatically make ballot papers insecure, but that their cumulative effect has not been demonstrated to preserve equivalent or superior protection,” Omtatah said in a statement reported by The Eastleigh Voice on October 11, 2026.
The petition challenges changes introduced through an addendum dated September 17, 2026, to Tender No. IEBC/OIT/02/2026–2027, which covers the supply of ballot papers and other electoral materials.
The contested changes include replacing multi-coloured serial numbers with single-colour black numbers, switching variable guilloche security patterns to static designs, replacing variable micro-text with static micro-text, and substituting metallic foil stamping with blind embossing without foil.
Omtatah argues that the combined effect of the changes should be independently assessed before the revised specifications are implemented.
“A ballot paper is not an ordinary commodity,” the senator said, emphasising the importance of protecting the integrity of electoral materials and maintaining public confidence in the voting process.
The IEBC reportedly introduced the revisions as technical adjustments intended to optimise costs and procurement timelines.
However, Omtatah maintains that financial considerations should not undermine constitutional safeguards governing elections.
“Cost savings must not undermine other constitutional obligations,” he said.
The senator is seeking the court’s intervention to preserve the original security specifications and require an independent technical assessment to establish whether the revised requirements provide equivalent or superior protection against electoral malpractice.
He has also argued that the dispute raises constitutional questions concerning political rights and the requirement for elections to be free, fair, secure, accurate, transparent and verifiable.
“We are demanding preventive accountability before potentially consequential decisions become irreversible,” Omtatah said.
Despite the proposed changes, other safeguards, including watermarks, ultraviolet security elements and anti-duplication QR codes, reportedly remain mandatory under the revised specifications.
Omtatah has clarified that his concerns do not amount to an allegation that the IEBC intends to facilitate electoral malpractice or that ballot papers have already been compromised. Instead, his challenge centres on whether the commission has provided sufficient technical evidence to justify the changes.
The case places the IEBC’s revised ballot paper specifications under judicial scrutiny as preparations for the 2027 General Election continue.
According to reports published on October 11, 2026, the petition was certified urgent and is before the High Court in Nairobi. The respondents were expected to file their responses by October 13, with the matter scheduled for mention on October 14 for further directions, including consideration of the request for conservatory orders.
The court’s eventual determination will establish the next steps in the legal dispute over the ballot paper security requirements.
