Kenyans Prefer Anne Amadi to Other Contenders For IEBC Chair

TIFA poll released on Wednesday 7, 2025 revealed that Kenyans prefer former Chief Registrar of the Judiciary Anne Amadi to other contenders for the chairperson position of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission IEBC.

Following a successful opinion poll conducted by the research body, Amadi was backed by 41% of respondents, putting her ahead of former East African Court Judge Charles Nyachae, who came second at 23%. Came third, Erastus Ethekon garnering 15% support, while Abdulqadir Ramadhan garnered 12%.

This survey, sampled 2,024 participants across nine regions in the country. It was conducted between May 2 and May 6, 2025, via telephone interviews in both English and Kiswahili, having a margin of error of ±2.17%.

Amadi prided a huge support from Nairobi region, followed by Nyanza where she led with (54%) and (53%) respectively. Apart from Nairobi and Nyanza, Amadi also enjoyed good backing from other regions like: Coast (45%), South Rift (41%), Lower Eastern and Western (37% each), Central Rift (36%), and Northern Kenya (34%).

Amadi support balanced well on gender-based responses, with her candidature receiving heavy backing from women (42%) versus 40% of men, while her counterpart, Nyachae performed better among men (26%) than women (20%). Based on this survey report, Amadi was nearly twice as popular as her closest competitor, Charles Nyachae.

The IEBC chair race comes at a time when, according to Tifa polls, half of all Kenyans lack confidence that the upcoming 2027 general elections will be free and fair. Only 20% of respondents believe the elections will meet that standard, while 21% think they will be only somewhat free and fair. Another 9% remain uncertain.

The widespread skepticism is largely attributed to concerns over political interference, corruption, voter bribery, and a general lack of trust in the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission IEBC.