Defining year ahead for IEBC as it readies country for 2027 elections

IEBC Chairperson Erastus Edung Ethekon, together with six Commissioners, brief media at PrideInn Paradise, Shanzu in Mombasa on July 19, 2025. [Robert Menza, Standard]

While the newly constituted Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) cut its teeth on the just concluded highly contested and controversy-laden by-elections, the ushering in of a new year comes with much more expectations, which is an arduous task for the electoral agency.

First, ahead of the 2027 general election, the IEBC is running against the clock to meet set constitutional deadlines in readiness for the polls even as it works to clear an overflowing in-tray.

And amid a divisive proposal to have a referendum held alongside the general polls, the agency is grappling with budgetary constraints, voter registration, a looming second round of mini-polls in three counties as well as the long-overdue boundaries delimitation exercise.

First up is the undertaking of by-elections to fill vacancies in the positions of MP for Isiolo South Constituency, as well as MCA positions in West Kabras Ward in Malava Constituency, Kakamega County and Muminji and Evurore wards in Mbeere North Constituency, Embu County.

In a gazette notice, IEBC chairperson Erastus Ethekon said announced that the by elections have been scheduled for February 26, 2026. He further announced the appointment of six

Returning and Deputy Returning Officers to conduct the elections. There will be two stationed in each county.

"Each political party intending to participate in the by-elections shall submit the names and specimen signatures of the authorized persons on or before Tuesday, 13th January, 2026," reads the notice.

The Isiolo South seat fell vacant following the demise of MP Mohamed Tubi, who was elected in August 2022 on a Jubilee Party ticket. Vacancies in the MCA positions arose after incumbent leaders resigned to contest for the MP seat in a race that pitted the united opposition and the broad-based coalition.

In Kakamega, the West Kabras Ward MCA seat fell vacant after David Ndakwa, elected on a United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket, resigned to vie for the Malava parliamentary seat, which he won.

In Mbeere North, Muminji Ward MCA Newton Kariuki-who had been elected on a Devolution Empowerment party ticket- had stepped down from his position to contest in the just concluded Mbeere North parliamentary race. The same was also true for Evurore Ward MCA Duncan Mbui.

The electoral agency has so far published a packed electoral calendar for 2026 and which stipulates that Political parties intending to participate are required to submit details of party primaries and certified membership lists by January 2, 2026, as well as the names and specimen signatures of authorized officials by January 13.

Further, parties are expected to have concluded their primaries, resolved internal disputes and submit their nominated candidates by January 16.

“Independent candidates shall not have been members of any political party at least three (3) months immediately before the date of the by-elections and must submit their names and symbols by January 2,” adds the notice.

It also noted that nomination of candidates will take place on January 22 and 23 and directed that any disputes arising from nominations be communicated within 24 hours of occurrence and no later than January 26. They must be subsequently resolved by February 4.

The campaigning period will also be from January 22 to February 23.

IEBC is also faced with the challenge of attaining its 6.8 million new voters by 2027 in its ongoing voter registration exercise. Despite progress having been made on that front, the Commission will have to move leaps and bounds to achieve its target given that the number of newly registered voters stood at only 100,000 by early November.

This was revealed by IEBC Commissioner Anne Nderitu, who, in her attempt to address the low turnout, blamed it on the cultural and logistical challenges involved.

Key among the reasons she gave was the reason the entrenched culture among many Kenyans of waiting until the last minute to complete important tasks.

“Kenyans have this culture of last-minute and wanting to compete with time until it’s the last minute. I know there are many Kenyans who are passing through the registration. They see that it is the IEBC office, and they say, Oh, there’s still time. So after time, after some time, I will come and register,” Nderitu stated.

Then there is the issue of the controversial delimitation of boundaries which is long overdue with the March 2024 deadline having elapsed.

Article 89(2) of the Constitution provides that the IEBC shall review names and boundaries of constituencies at intervals of not less than eight years, and not more than 12 years. The last review was carried out in March 2012.

The lack of commissioners following the exit of chairman Wafula Chebukati and commissioners Boya Molu and Abdi Guliye, whose tenures expired in January 2023, had delayed the exercise.  

But now, even with the reconstitution of IEBC, the Commission has ruled out a review and delimitation of boundaries before the 2027 General Election. Recently appearing before the National Assembly’s Constitution Implementation and Oversight Committee (CIOC), the IEBC cast doubt on delimitation of boundaries being undertaken to a sensible and satisfactory conclusion in the less than two years to the polls.

Citing legal landmines and constrictive timelines, IEBC Chairman Erastus Ethekon said it was not practical to mobilize resources and conduct the already time-bad exercise before the decisive 2027 General Election.

“We need a minimum two to three years to conduct this fairly emotive exercise. My fear is looking at the timelines (and all the other activities we need to undertake before 2027) we might not adhere to the timelines,” he said.

Further, to conduct the August 10, 2027 elections, IEBC requires Sh61 billion but it will have to do with the allocated Sh57.3 billion.

IEBC Chief Executive Officer Marjan Hussein said despite requesting Sh61 billion, the commission's budget has been rationalized to Sh57.3 billion. Some Sh2.5 billion will go towards stakeholder engagement, Sh1.4 billion towards media campaigns, Sh1 billion for legal reforms, Sh8 billion for continuous voter registration, Sh5.9 billion for printing of ballot papers, Sh3.9 billion for training of staff and agents, and Sh4.1 billion for transport.

The replacement of old KIEMS kits – which are 10 years or older- will take up Sh7 billion, while maintenance of the electoral system has been allocated Sh2.4 billion. A further Sh1 billion will be used for simulation.