One of the most disturbing events happened in Narok, where masked men stormed a polling station shortly after voting ended, leaving IEBC officials traumatised and key election materials destroyed.
According to accounts shared with journalists, including Citizen Digital’s Ben Kirui, the attackers appeared moments after polls closed on Thursday evening.
Armed with clubs and pistols, they confronted presiding officers, seized personal belongings, and scattered ballot materials, causing panic at the Masai Mara tallying centre.
As tallying was expected to begin, confusion spread across the Narok Ward when five presiding officers failed to report back to the tallying centre.
Senior IEBC officials, led by returning officer Kuria Mbugua, anxiously waited for any information about their whereabouts.
Hours later, the truth emerged. The officers had been forced to flee after a group of hooded men invaded the polling station, fired into the air, and ordered everyone to surrender their gadgets and election equipment.
“We just heard commotion everywhere. Gunshots were all over. You couldn’t even tell where danger was coming from,” said one of the affected officials, who requested anonymity for safety reasons.
The officer described the frightening scene as the attackers accused them of manipulating results in favour of an opponent of their preferred candidate.
They assaulted the officers using clubs and demanded that the electronic devices be handed over.
“Waliniambia nitoe machine wakinipiga rungu kwa mguu... In the confusion I escaped into a plantation and hid there,” the officer narrated.
Others hid inside nearby structures, including a pit latrine, fearing for their lives.
By the time calm returned, ballot papers, boxes, and several declaration forms had been destroyed or scattered.
Returning officer Kuria Mbugua later confirmed that although some materials were damaged, the overall results could not be overturned even if all missing votes were allocated to the runner-up.
He explained that the commission made the decision to announce the results in line with election guidelines, emphasising that the integrity of the final tally had not been compromised.
Kenyan election law strictly forbids violence, intimidation, or obstruction targeting IEBC officials. Offenders risk heavy fines, imprisonment, or both.
However, Thursday’s incidents revealed worrying gaps in security and raised fresh concerns about similar threats emerging ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The violence was not limited to Narok. In Mbeere North, voters also found themselves caught in the chaos.
One resident, James Muriithi, recalled how gunfire erupted as people fled in panic.
“Tuliona watu wakikimbia, mara risasi ikapigwa juu. Everyone was running for safety,” he said.
During the confusion, a plainclothes officer fired a warning shot to control a disorderly crowd.
Unfortunately, Muriithi, who had taken cover inside a nearby homestead, was hit by a stray bullet.
“I felt a cold sensation on my shoulder and realised I had been shot,” he recounted.
He was later rushed to hospital and is currently recovering.
The incidents—which reportedly may involve individuals suspected to be security officers—have sparked urgent questions about whether IEBC staff are adequately protected while carrying out their duties.
Civil society groups and election observers have warned that without swift action, similar attacks may become more frequent as political competition intensifies ahead of 2027.
Residents in Narok have also appealed for increased deployment of security personnel in polling centres, insisting that election officials and voters must not be exposed to such dangers again.
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