NAIROBI, Kenya – The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has projected that the upcoming 22 by-elections across Kenya will cost approximately Sh700 million, highlighting the high stakes and logistical challenges of running credible elections in the country.
Speaking on the scale and cost of the elections, IEBC Commissioner Ann Nderitu said the bulk of the expenditure will go toward deploying electoral officials and managing logistics.
“The biggest cost drivers are electoral officials, the procurement of materials, and the logistics involved in transporting everything to polling stations,” Nderitu explained in a recent TV interview.
Electoral officials require extensive training to ensure the integrity and efficiency of the voting process, she added.
Coordinating their deployment across diverse regions—from urban centers to remote areas—adds to the complexity.
In Baringo County, for example, vehicles must be carefully allocated to transport materials and personnel, while in remote locations such as Banisa in Wajir and parts of Turkana, flights are used to deliver ballot papers securely.
Beyond personnel costs, Nderitu said, the procurement of electoral materials—ballot papers, seals, stamps, and indelible ink—is another major expense.
She noted that Kenyan ballot papers feature more security measures than currency notes, reflecting the importance of public trust in the electoral process.
“Elections are designed not just to manage votes, but to manage trust. Citizens must have confidence that their votes are secure, the counting process is transparent, and results reflect their true choice,” she said.
The commission has also invested heavily in technology to enhance transparency, including systems to track voter identification, trace ballots, and audit tallies, ensuring that every step of the process is verifiable.
Nderitu contrasted Kenya’s approach with countries like Sweden, where political parties distribute their own ballots and the electoral commission serves mainly as a supervisor.
She noted that while the cost of elections there is far lower, Kenya’s expenditure reflects the dual mandate of conducting elections while safeguarding public trust.
The Sh700 million price tag underscores the scale, complexity, and high stakes of elections in Kenya, where credibility and transparency remain a priority for both the commission and the electorate.
