IEBC FACES FUNDING GAP, TALLYING ROW AND REFORM PRESSURE AHEAD OF 2027 POLLS
IEBC is facing funding challenges, a dispute over presidential results tallying and renewed pressure for electoral reforms as preparations for the 2027 General Election intensify.
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The electoral commission is racing against time to prepare for the 2027 General Election amid financial constraints, a legal dispute over presidential results and renewed calls for electoral reforms.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is facing several challenges as it prepares for the August 10, 2027 General Election, with funding, presidential results tallying and proposed changes to electoral law emerging as key issues.
The commission has raised concerns over inadequate funding for election preparations, including procurement of technology, voter registration, voter education and recruitment and training of election officials.
According to an IEBC budget document, the commission requires about Sh63.95 billion for the 2027 General Election over three financial years. Treasury allocations amount to about Sh41.01 billion, leaving a documented shortfall of approximately Sh22.94 billion.
However, other parliamentary budget documents have placed IEBC's wider request at about Sh74.8 billion, against an allocation of roughly Sh41.3 billion, producing a gap of about Sh33.5 billion. This is the basis for recent reports referring to a Sh33 billion funding shortfall.
The funding pressure comes as IEBC prepares to replace ageing Kenya Integrated Election Management System (KIEMS) kits, conduct voter registration and acquire other election materials. The commission has also warned that inadequate funding could affect several preparatory activities.
The commission is also dealing with a legal and political dispute over the national tallying of presidential results.
The High Court recently upheld the legal framework providing for the aggregation and verification of presidential results at the national level. However, the court ruled that IEBC cannot use the national process to alter figures already declared and certified at constituency level.
The ruling has not ended the debate.
The People’s Coalition on Electoral Reforms has called for the national tallying centre to be removed ahead of the 2027 election. The coalition argues that presidential results declared at constituency level should not be re-tallied or altered at a national centre.
The tallying dispute has also fuelled calls for amendments to Kenya's electoral laws.
Among the proposals is an Elections Amendment Bill seeking to remove the national tallying centre and limit the role of the IEBC chairperson to aggregating and announcing presidential results declared at constituency tallying centres.
The proposals are expected to generate further debate in Parliament and among political and electoral stakeholders as the country moves closer to the 2027 polls.
With less than a year to the election, IEBC therefore faces the task of securing adequate resources while navigating legal questions and proposed changes to the electoral framework.
The commission's ability to complete procurement, technology upgrades, voter registration and other preparations will depend partly on when additional funding is made available and how ongoing legal and legislative questions are resolved.
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Written by Anne Moses
Reporter and staff writer at Getembe News.
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