The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has raised concern over a significant funding shortfall that it says could affect key preparations for the 2027 General Election, including voter registration, voter education, and election logistics.

IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon said the commission has been allocated about Sh41 billion against a required estimate of Sh67.1 billion, leaving a funding gap of over Sh20 billion. He warned that the deficit is already influencing planning and could constrain several critical electoral operations.

“We have a significant funding deficit, which could impact critical areas such as voter education, technology systems, staffing, security arrangements, and stakeholder engagement,” Ethekon said.

He noted that voter registration, which is currently ongoing nationwide, is one of the most resource-intensive stages of the electoral cycle, requiring deployment of biometric kits, personnel, transport logistics, and continuous civic engagement across all wards and constituencies.

Ethekon said the financial constraints could also slow down the expansion of registration centres and reduce the scale of voter education campaigns, which are essential for encouraging participation and ensuring inclusivity. He further cautioned that the verification, audit, and cleaning of the voter register ahead of the 2027 polls could also be affected if funding remains inadequate.

He added that staffing levels, security coordination with the National Police Service, and logistical support for registration teams may also come under pressure due to limited resources.

Despite the financial strain, Ethekon said the voter registration exercise is progressing well.

“In the first phase of the mass registration drive, we have already recorded about 850,000 new voters within nine days, which is a strong indication of public participation. If the momentum is sustained, we could exceed 1.8 million registrations in this phase alone, ‘’he said.

He emphasised the importance of re-registering voters who had never participated since the 2010 Constitution came into effect.

 “There are citizens who were previously registered but have never voted under the digital biometric system introduced in 2012. They must come forward to be included in the new register. Inclusion and integrity of the voter roll are non-negotiable,” Ethekon said.

The commission is targeting an additional 6.3 million to 6.8 million new voters ahead of the 2027 polls.

 “If we meet this target, the voter register would grow from 22.1 million to about 28.5 million eligible voters. But achieving this goal depends heavily on adequate financial support,” he noted.

Ethekon also addressed security concerns with the goon culture in play, noting that the commission’s hands are tied and it has no mandate to take any action.

‘’We strongly condemn the use of goons to cause havoc and hurt voters during rallies as seen in previous occasions, we, however, have no powers to act on this issue and are forced to leave it to the DPP to handle the matter,’’ he said.