IEBC sets February 2026 by-elections for Isiolo South MP seat, three wards

Voters queue at Mung'ala Primary School during Mumbuni North ward, Machakos town constituency by-elections on November 27, 2025. [John Muia, Standard]

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has gazetted Thursday, February 26, 2026, as the date for by-elections in Isiolo South Constituency and three wards in Embu and Kakamega counties, following vacancies that arose over the past year.

Voters in Isiolo South Constituency will elect a new Member of the National Assembly after the seat fell vacant following the death of MP Mohamed Tubi Bidu.

Tubi died on November 12, 2025, while receiving treatment at a hospital in Nairobi.

He was a first-term MP, having been elected in the August 2022 General Election on a Jubilee Party ticket, and served on the Departmental Committee on Environment, Forestry, and Mining. Before entering Parliament, he was the first Speaker of the Isiolo County Assembly from 2013 to 2017.

The by-election will be overseen by Returning Officer Ali Wario Ibrahim, assisted by Deputy Returning Officer Makandi Ann.

In Embu County, by-elections will be held in Muminji and Evurore wards in Mbeere North Constituency.

The seats fell vacant after the sitting Members of the County Assembly- Newton Kariuki (Muminji) and Duncan Mbui (Evurore), resigned to contest the recently concluded Mbeere North parliamentary by-election.

Kariuki was elected on a Devolution Empowerment Party (DEP) ticket, while Mbui was elected as an independent in 2022. In the parliamentary by-election, Kariuki ran on a Democratic Party (DP) ticket, while Mbui vied on Moses Kuria's Chama Cha Kazi (CCK) party. Both lost to United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate Leonard Wa Muthende.

IEBC has appointed Njeru Curtis Mawira as the Returning Officer, with Gitonga Charity Kinya serving as Deputy Returning Officer.

In Kakamega County, voters in West Kabras Ward in Malava Constituency will elect a new MCA after the seat was declared vacant following David Ndakwa's decision to vie for the Malava Constituency parliamentary seat.

The mini-poll will be managed by Returning Officer Salim Abdallah William, assisted by Deputy Returning Officer Barasa Simon Makokha.

Campaigns are expected to begin immediately after the clearance of candidates.

According to the IEBC schedule to political parties and candidates intending to participate in the by-elections, political parties must submit the names and specimen signatures of their authorized officials to the Commission on or before Tuesday, January 13, 2026.

Parties are also required to submit the names of contestants in their party primaries and the dates of those primaries by Friday, January 2, 2026.

Newly registered parties, or those that have revised their membership lists, must submit certified membership lists by the same date.

Public officers seeking to contest must resign within seven days of the declaration of the vacancy. IEBC will gazette names of party primary contestants within seven days of receipt.

Independent candidates must not have been party members for at least three months and must submit their names and symbols by January 2, 2026.

Party nomination lists must be submitted by January 16, 2026, while nominations will take place on January 22 and 23, 2026.