MONROVIA – The Liberian Legislative Delegation has continued its electoral boundary delimitation study tour with a high-level engagement in Nairobi, holding discussions with Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) on strengthening electoral systems, advancing women’s participation, and promoting inclusive governance.
The exchange centered on Kenya’s approach to expanding political representation for women and marginalized groups. IEBC officials explained that the country’s electoral system automatically allocates 24 parliamentary seats for women, a practice rooted in political will and sustained public advocacy. The Commission underscored the importance of partnerships with civil society to pressure political parties into ensuring balanced candidate lists, warning against practices where parties initially field men and later add women as an afterthought.
Kenya’s inclusive electoral framework, the IEBC noted, also covers youth and persons with disabilities.Officials highlighted three distinct pathways for political participation: through partisan politics, as independent candidates, and via designated slots for women, youth, and persons with disabilities. According to the Commission, political parties play a central role in preparing and empowering aspirants, while strong legal frameworks, monitoring of primaries, and enforcement of standards ensure fairness in candidate selection.
Liberia’s delegation used the platform to share national experiences and challenges. Hon. Moima Briggs-Mensah, Chair of the House Gender Committee, provided a sobering assessment of women’s representation in Liberia, where just about 11 percent of parliamentarians are female. She acknowledged modest progress through electoral demarcation measures but said women continue to face cultural stereotypes, social barriers, and a heightened demand to prove resilience compared to their male counterparts.
Briggs-Mensah stressed the need for Liberia to go beyond rhetoric, calling for gender-sensitive budgeting, monitoring mechanisms, and stronger institutional frameworks to support women in politics. “Representation will not be achieved by chance; it requires deliberate action and policies that create space for women,” she told her Kenyan counterparts.
The session also touched on the monitoring of specialized groups, with the IEBC citing institutions such as the National Council of People with Disabilities and the International Council on Women as key partners in organizing and observing elections. Civic education and training, they said, remain indispensable tools for ensuring compliance with electoral laws and empowering citizens to participate meaningfully.
A comparative reflection between the two countries revealed both similarities and differences in their systems. For instance, while Liberia requires candidates to pay registration fees, Kenya does not, a practice IEBC officials expressed interest in exploring as part of their own reforms. Structurally, Kenya’s IEBC operates with nine commissioners, compared to seven at Liberia’s National Elections Commission (NEC).
Both sides concluded that cross-country learning is essential for improving transparency and inclusivity across Africa’s electoral processes. The dialogue, they agreed, would serve as a foundation for ongoing collaboration as Liberia continues its own boundary delimitation exercise and Kenya consolidates its democratic gains.
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