Kenya has less than one month to fix campaign finance

Residents of Ol Kalou town receive goodies donated by the government ahead of the July 16 by-election in Ol Kalou constituency. [James Munyeki, Standard]

As Kenya moves towards the general election scheduled for 10 August 2027, a troubling reality is emerging: The country may once again conduct a national election without an operational campaign finance framework.

The Election Campaign Financing Act was enacted in 2013 to regulate campaign spending, enhance transparency and promote accountability in elections. Yet, more than a decade later, the law remains largely unimplemented because the regulations required to operationalise it have never taken effect.

The Act is unequivocal. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) must make campaign finance regulations at least 12 months before a general election. For the 2027 elections, that deadline falls on August 9, 2026.

Parliament now has less than one month to put in place the legal framework needed to operationalise the Act. Unless it acts with urgency, Kenya will head into yet another election cycle without effective rules governing how campaigns are financed.

This delay is particularly worrying because the campaign season has already begun. Across the country, politicians are traversing constituencies, holding rallies, church fundraisers, empowerment programmes and political meetings as they rally support around competing political narratives. Money is already being raised and spent, yet all this is taking place without the safeguards Parliament itself envisioned.

The urgency of reform is no longer theoretical. During the ongoing Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election, I have visited my home constituency several times and witnessed first-hand the escalating cost of politics. Cash-intensive mobilisation, large-scale distributions and other activities that create the perception of voter inducement have become increasingly common. Whether or not individual incidents ultimately breach electoral law, they demonstrate how expensive elections have become and why campaign finance regulation is urgently needed.

The consequences extend far beyond accounting.

Without spending limits, elections inevitably favour those with the deepest pockets. Political competition risks becoming a contest of financial muscle rather than ideas, leadership and public service. Candidates with substantial resources can dominate the political conversation while equally capable contenders struggle to compete.

The absence of transparency also raises legitimate concerns about corruption and undue influence. Citizens deserve to know who finances political campaigns and what interests may shape public policy after elections. Without meaningful disclosure, voters are left guessing whether elected leaders are accountable to the public or to a small circle of financiers.

The regulatory vacuum equally creates opportunities for illicit funds to find their way into politics and makes it harder to enforce existing prohibitions on the use of public resources for campaigns. These are precisely the risks Parliament sought to address when it enacted the law in 2013.

Perhaps the greatest casualty of continued delay will be Kenya's young people.

Recent years have witnessed an unprecedented political awakening among young Kenyans, who have consistently demanded accountability, transparency and better governance. The 2027 General Election presents an opportunity for that civic engagement to translate into political participation.

Yet running for office has become increasingly expensive. Without campaign spending limits and transparent financing rules, political competition naturally favours established politicians, wealthy individuals and candidates backed by powerful financial interests. If this trend continues unchecked, public office risks becoming the preserve of the wealthy rather than the capable. Democracy cannot flourish where talented teachers, lawyers, entrepreneurs and young professionals are priced out before campaigns even begin.

That is precisely why the Election Campaign Financing Act matters. At its core, it seeks to democratise democracy itself. By limiting the influence of major donors and requiring transparency, it encourages candidates to seek support from ordinary citizens rather than a handful of wealthy benefactors. Leaders financed by many citizens are ultimately more accountable to the public than those dependent on a select few financiers.

Parliament settled the policy debate more than a decade ago when it enacted the Act. The only remaining task is implementation. Yet with less than one month before the statutory deadline, time is rapidly running out.

The scenes unfolding in by-election campaigns today should serve as a warning of what awaits in 2027 if nothing changes. Parliament and the IEBC must therefore treat campaign finance regulations as an urgent democratic priority rather than an administrative afterthought.

A healthy democracy should be won by the strength of ideas—not by the depth of one's pockets. Kenya still has a narrow window to make that principle a reality.