NAIROBI, Kenya — The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has warned that a Sh13 billion funding shortfall could undermine preparations for the 2027 General Election, barely two years to the polls.
The commission told Parliament that the gap threatens payments to election officials, procurement of election technology, and its overall constitutional readiness.
The warning came as Parliament renewed efforts to operationalise the IEBC Fund, a mechanism provided for under law to guarantee financial independence and reduce reliance on discretionary Treasury allocations.
IEBC Chief Executive Officer Hussein Marjan presented the commission’s budget documents to the Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Implementation Oversight (CIOC), revealing that Sh7.63 billion is required solely for staff salaries.
The commission is also grappling with Sh5.75 billion in pending bills, largely legal fees arising from previous election disputes.
“These pending bills have been accumulating over time and will adversely affect operations of the commission in conducting the 2027 elections,” IEBC said in its submission.
In a report tabled before the National Assembly, the CIOC warned that the funding gap “threatens the commission’s ability to discharge its constitutional mandate effectively.” The committee urged the National Treasury to urgently bridge the deficit and establish a clear disbursement schedule to restore supplier confidence and ensure timely execution of electoral activities.
IEBC is constitutionally mandated to conduct elections and referenda, register voters, delimit constituencies and wards, conduct voter education, and deploy election technology.
For the 2027 polls, the commission requested Sh61.74 billion spread over three financial years — Sh15.3 billion in 2025/26, Sh25.4 billion in 2026/27, and Sh21 billion in 2027/28.
The Treasury has committed Sh55 billion as a baseline. Parliament approved Sh9.33 billion for the current year, up from Sh3.82 billion in 2024/25.
Despite the increase, IEBC plans to acquire 59,352 Kenya Integrated Election Management System (KIEMS) kits, including 3,959 for training purposes. Only 14,000 kits procured in 2022 will be retained, as devices used in 2017 are now obsolete.
The KIEMS kits capture biometric voter data and transmit results electronically. They are supported by high-capacity batteries and portable power banks to operate in off-grid areas.
IEBC also plans to register an additional 5.7 million voters, mainly youth, and gazette 55,393 polling stations, up from 46,229 in the 2022 election.
Election expert Koki Muli has proposed reducing the number of polling stations to accommodate about 2,000 voters per station, a move IEBC can implement administratively to cut costs.
Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi did not respond to requests for comment. He has previously acknowledged the high cost of elections and called for prudent use of public funds.
Earlier, the Treasury rejected IEBC’s Sh62 billion budget request, which included Sh7 billion for new KIEMS kits. IEBC had proposed Sh55 billion as a baseline, Sh6.7 billion to cover its overall deficit, and Sh3.8 billion for pending bills.
So far, the Treasury has allocated Sh45.3 billion — Sh9.3 billion for the current year, Sh24.9 billion for 2026/27, and Sh20.4 billion for 2027/28. The allocation includes Sh26 billion for election management, Sh1.9 billion for voter education, Sh12.7 billion for ICT, and about Sh100 million for boundary delimitation.
Even with these allocations, IEBC says it faces a Sh16.5 billion shortfall as preparations intensify.
During public participation on the draft 2026 Budget Policy Statement, IEBC warned that limited resources could weaken key constitutional agencies.
“It was noted that some agencies have been allocated limited resources, yet they provide key services in the country, such as EACC, IEBC and NPS,” the document stated.
IEBC requested Sh38 billion for election management, Sh6.5 billion for voter education, Sh12 billion for ICT, and Sh369 million for boundary delimitation.
Chairman Erastus Ethekon warned that budget cuts could limit staff deployment at polling stations and the national tallying centre.
“The cuts will affect the level of deployment,” he said, adding that existing KIEMS kits are compromised.
“We need to buy new kits with more advanced technology,” Ethekon said, noting that devices used in 2013 and 2017 are no longer usable.
The last general election involved more than 423,000 election officials and 16,098 candidates — numbers IEBC expects to rise in 2027, further increasing pressure on its budget.
