The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has projected a budgetary requirement of Ksh.61.7 billion for Kenya’s 2027 general election. This was revealed by Deputy CEO Obadiah Keitany when he appeared before Parliament on Tuesday.
A significant portion of this budget Ksh.7 billion is allocated for the boundary delimitation process. However, this remains on hold as the commission awaits a court advisory. The electoral body also anticipates an additional 5.7 million new voters, bringing the total voter base to approximately 28 million in 2027.
Despite these preparations, IEBC faces a number of financial and logistical hurdles. The commission has not registered new voters since 2022, citing the lack of an operational budget and the absence of commissioners. The last group of IEBC commissioners exited in 2023, leaving the institution leaderless. The selection panel responsible for recruiting a new chairperson and commission members is still in the process of filling these crucial positions.
Another pressing concern for IEBC is the replacement of aging Kenya Integrated Election Management System (KIEMS) kits, which are essential for electronic voter identification. Finance Director Osman Ibrahim noted that 45,352 KIEMS kits excluding the 14,000 units purchased in 2022 need to be replaced. Given that each kit costs approximately Ksh.65,000, the total cost of replacement is estimated at Ksh.7 billion. These devices, which store voter facial images, fingerprints, and civil data, become obsolete after a decade, making their replacement crucial for a credible electoral process.
Beyond preparations for the 2027 elections, IEBC is also grappling with the costs of pending by-elections. The commission reported that 14 by-elections remain unresolved, requiring a total of Ksh.480 million to conduct them.
Kenya’s elections have historically been among the most expensive in the world. The 2022 general election, which had 22,120,258 registered voters, cost a staggering Ksh.44.6 billion. With an expanded voter base and new technological demands, the projected 2027 budget represents a significant increase.
The current financial predicament raises concerns about Kenya’s electoral preparedness. Without a fully constituted commission, voter registration remains stalled, and critical procurement processes are delayed. As the country inches closer to 2027, the government and Parliament will have to address these funding and administrative gaps to ensure a smooth and credible electoral process.
