Strategic Stakeholder Engagement and Performance of Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission in Nyanza South and Nyanza Central Region

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission is a constitutional commission established by Kenya's 2010 constitution. It is a body tasked with organizing elections and referenda in the Republic of Kenya. As a result, it is critical to the country's growth, prosperity, and stability. This study sought to establish the relationship between strategic management practices and the performance of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission in Nyanza South and Nyanza Central Region, Kenya. The specific objectives of the study included determining the effect of strategic stakeholder engagement, strategic public participation, strategic use of information technology (IT), and strategic leadership style on the performance of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission in Nyanza South and Nyanza Central Region, Kenya. The study adopted a survey research design. The target population for this study was 96 respondents and census sampling techniques used to sample all the 96. Questionnaires were used in data collection from the field. Quantitative data collected from the questionnaire was analysed descriptively through the use of means and standard deviation and through regression and correlational analysis. The study findings revealed that strategic stakeholder engagement is a significant positive predictor of performance at IEBC. The study concluded that strategic management practices are significant positive predictors of performance of Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission in Nyanza South and Nyanza Central regions. The study recommends that to enhance performance, Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission should enhance its stakeholder mapping processes to include a broader range of voices, ensuring that all relevant groups are identified and engaged. The study also recommends that The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission should enhance regular and structured forums for engagement, allowing stakeholders to provide input into the electoral processes. It also recommends that The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission should implement robust feedback mechanisms that allow stakeholders to express concern and suggestions.