The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has vehemently distanced itself from a viral social media post claiming a massive cleanup of the voter register, specifically the removal of over two million "ghost voters" before the 2027 General Election. The Commission swiftly flagged the post as fake, emphasizing that it currently operates without a substantive chairperson or commissioners in office, rendering any statements attributed to its members as misleading and null and void. This clarification directly addressed allegations that an incoming Commission Chairperson, identified as Erustus Ethekon, had been appointed and was leading this purported voter register audit.

The misleading social media post had detailed specific claims, including that Kiambu County was leading with the highest concentration of these alleged ghost voters, followed by Meru, Nairobi, and Nyeri Counties. An image purporting to show an IEBC podium set for a press briefing was also circulated alongside these claims, further contributing to the misinformation. The IEBC explicitly warned Kenyans against falling victim to such widespread false information, urging them to disregard the post entirely and rely solely on verified, official channels for all electoral updates.

Despite the IEBC's current operational status, it is important to note that President William Ruto had, via a gazette notice dated June 10, officially appointed Erastus Edung Ethekon as the new IEBC Chairperson, alongside Ann Njeri Nderitu, Moses Alutalala Mukhwana, Mary Karen Sorobit, Hassan Noor Hassan, Francis Odhiambo Aduol, and Fahima Araphat Abdallah as commissioners. However, these appointees are yet to assume their critical positions. Their swearing-in was temporarily halted by High Court conservatory orders, issued pending the outcome of a constitutional petition. This petition raised significant concerns regarding the transparency and legality of the selection process for the nominees.

The IEBC has consistently reiterated that there is no current plan or initiative mooted to review the voters' register with the specific object of removing such a large number of purported ghost voters. The agency's quick response aims to quell heated public debate ignited by the fake report, which had attributed these deletion plans to the nominated chairman, Erastus Ethekon, with a key focus on populous regions like Mt Kenya counties and Nairobi. The commission's official stance remains clear: any information circulating on social media regarding voter register audits or appointments that does not originate from its official platforms should be treated with the contempt it deserves.