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.
