Kenya could spend up to Sh57.3 billion to conduct the 2027 General Election, according to a new study that warns election costs tend to rise when an incumbent president is seeking re-election.
The Cost of Elections in Kenya 2026 report by South Consulting Africa Limited says the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) initially projected a budget of Sh61.7 billion for the 2027 polls, which was later reduced to Sh57.3 billion following adjustments by the National Treasury and Parliament.
The projected figure points to a possible return to the high-cost pattern witnessed in 2017, when the IEBC spent about Sh65 billion as former President Uhuru Kenyatta sought a second term.
The report says the high expenditure in 2017 was partly driven by the initial purchase of KIEMS kits, security costs and the repeat presidential election.
By comparison, the approved election budget fell from about Sh65 billion in 2017 to Sh47 billion in 2022, while actual spending declined from Sh54 billion to Sh36 billion.
The study also highlights Kenya’s high cost of elections per voter. While the global benchmark is about five US dollars, equivalent to roughly Sh645 per registered voter, Kenya spent Sh1,649 per registered voter in 2022. The cost rose to Sh2,566 per person who actually voted, while the approved budget translated to about Sh3,298 per actual voter.
The report attributes part of the high cost to low voter turnout, noting that more than one-third of registered voters did not participate in the 2022 election. Since major election expenses such as personnel, logistics and technology remain largely fixed, lower turnout increases the cost per actual voter.
“Relatively low turnout compared to registered voters contributes to high costs. Elections are run on fixed costs. The cost of materials, among others, is based on the assumption that almost everyone registered will turn out to vote,” the report states.
The IEBC remains the biggest recipient of election-related funding, although the study notes that its financing has followed a stop-start pattern. Its allocation rose from Sh23.6 billion in 2016/17 to Sh33.4 billion in 2017/18, before falling sharply in subsequent financial years.
The report warns that irregular funding makes it difficult for the electoral body to maintain systems, retain expertise, implement reforms and act on audit and election observer recommendations.
“This stop-start funding model treats elections as an event instead of a continuous five-year process, making it harder for IEBC to maintain systems, retain skills, implement reforms and act on audit and observer recommendations,” the report says.
The study also identifies election logistics and operations as some of the largest areas of expenditure, covering more than 300,000 temporary election officials, materials for over 46,000 polling stations and national and county tallying centres.
Technology-related costs include biometric voter registration, KIEMS kits, electronic transmission of results and cybersecurity.
The report further notes that security agencies, the Judiciary and the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties also receive significant public funding linked to the electoral process.
According to the study, election costs are likely to remain high unless Kenya moves away from major procurement spending during election years and adopts long-term investment in electoral infrastructure.
“It is instructive to note that over the period reviewed for this report, the highest cost of electoral processes occurred in 2017, with a similar scenario projected in 2027. This would tend to suggest that electoral costs are highest when an incumbent is seeking re-election, rather than when a constitutionally mandated handover is in the offing,” the report states.
The study recommends multi-year funding for the IEBC, Judiciary and other oversight institutions to support reforms and reduce sharp increases in election spending during election years.
It says a five-year funding cycle would allow the electoral body to build sustainable capacity, maintain systems and address election-related challenges continuously rather than relying heavily on funding released during election years.
