The Country will require a staggering Sh61 billion to undertake the 2027 general elections, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) now estimates.

According to IEBC deputy Chief Executive Officer Obadia Keitan, the 2027 polls which could prove to be the most expensive yet, will be funded over the three financial years starting with the current 2025/26, 2026/27 and 2027/28.

Appearing before the National Assembly’s Justice and Legal Affairs Committee yesterday, Keitan said that to jump-start the operations of the commission, Sh15 billion should be availed during the 2025/2026 financial year to allow for voter registration and acquisition of the election technology -both software and hardware.

 “We are requesting that the funds be allocated in the 2025/2026 financial year to prepare for the general elections including early procurement of election materials, technology and voter registration,” stated Keitan.

Included in the multi-billion budgets, the Deputy CEO submitted, was Sh7.04 billion for the acquisition of 45,000 new Kenya Integrated Election Management (Kiems) kits, Sh15.6 billion for wages, Sh7 billion for continuous voter registration and voter verification exercise in the 2025/2026 and 2026/27 financial years.

There is also a Sh6 billion requirement for the procurement of ballot papers, Sh3.61 billion for the procurement of election materials, Sh3.2 billion for stakeholder engagements and Sh2.7 billion for training of election officials’ expenses.

Other allocations include Sh2.6 billion for the upgrade and maintenance of election systems, Sh3.82 billion for transport, Sh1.2 billion for meals, Sh1.3 billion for the purchase of motor vehicles, Sh1.1 billion each for legal petitions and risk registration.

Keitan told the George Murugara-led committee that the commission had been unable to ensure continuous voter registration since the last elections in 2022 due to a lack of commissioners.

 He also revealed that the electoral agency had set aside Sh7 billion to facilitate the long overdue boundaries reviews and delimitation of boundaries but was waiting on a court advisory on the way forward.

Notably, the delimitation of boundaries 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 was occasioned by the exit of former chairman Wafula Chebukati and commissioners Boya Molu and Abdi Guliye, whose tenures expired in January 2023.

Four other commissioners – vice chairperson Juliana Cherera, Francis Wanderi, Justus Nyang’aya and Irene Masit – were kicked out of office following their rejection of the 2022 presidential election results that declared President William Ruto the winner.

Otiende however pushed for an explanation on why the continuous voter registration exercise had not been going on as provided for by the constitution.

“what policy decision informed this and from who?” he asked.  

The lawmaker further sought to know whether the commission was ready for a referendum and how long it would need to prepare for one.

The IEBC director of legal services Chrispine Owiye responded that Parliament was required to first enact the referendum Bill to guide the process.

To facilitate the conducting of 14 by-elections across the country, the commission intends to spend Sh490 million. This is following the arising of vacancies of four seats in the National Assembly, 9 seats belonging to MCAs and one Senatorial seat.

The committee however sought a justification on the expediture required for the purchase of the kiems kits, with Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse seeking to know what was wrong with those procured during the precvious election.

“Why would we be replacing the Kiems kits yet they are working?” posed Mutuse.

Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo also expressed his opposition to a change in the kits noting that the ones available were up to date.

 “I am concerned about the (replacements) of Kiems kits. It can be 15 or 20 years as long as it works,” said Amollo.  

Committee chair Murugara consequently directed that the commission prepares an expert report on the status of the current kits and the same tabled before the House.

 But in her response, the electoral agency’s deputy CEO Ruth Kulundu submitted that by the 2027 elections, the current kits would be obsolete. This, she said, was in line with the body’s policy.  

“Any technology beyond 10 years is obsolete and that is why we cannot use the kits for the 2027 general election that is why we need to replace them,” said Kulundu.

She also explained that the cost of replacing a kit includes the installation of software and procurement of licenses from providers.