NAIROBI, KENYA — The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is under increasing pressure as questions mount over its operational readiness for upcoming electoral activities, driven by significant funding shortfalls, logistical hurdles, and pending electoral reforms.
At the center of concern is the commission’s budget allocation. While the total projected cost for conducting multi-year election operations and preparations ranges between Sh55 billion and Sh61.7 billion, electoral officials have repeatedly cautioned Parliament and the National Treasury over a widening resource deficit that threatens critical pre-election timelines.
The IEBC outlined a phased expenditure plan across multiple fiscal cycles to cushion against last-minute resource constraints:
Projected requirements stand at approximately Sh61.74 billion spread across three financial years.
Sh15.3 billion (Pre-election preparations and system upgrades).
Sh25.4 billion (Voter registration, equipment procurement, and logistics).
Sh21.0 billion (Election day operations and post-election activities).
With Treasury allocations falling short of initial requests (roughly 55% of total required funds), the commission faces an estimated operational gap of over Sh33.5 billion, alongside pending bills amounting to Sh3.8 billion.
A major chunk of the election budget is designated for replacing aging voter management hardware and scaling infrastructure to accommodate a growing voter base:
The commission plans to spend Sh7 billion to purchase new Kenya Integrated Election Management System (KIEMS) kits. Out of the existing hardware, only 14,000 kits acquired in 2022 remain viable, while over 45,000 legacy kits bought in 2017 are set to be decommissioned due to technical obsolescence.
To reduce overcrowding, polling stations are projected to expand from 46,229 to 55,393 nationwide.
Parallel to infrastructure updates, the commission is moving forward with voter registration drives and campaign regulatory frameworks:
Targets aim to enroll over 5.7 million new voters, primarily targeting young citizens attaining legal age.
The IEBC recently gazetted spending limits for elective posts—capping presidential candidate expenditure at Sh6.1 billion—in an effort to control money politics and level the playing field.
Despite programmatic planning, electoral observers and legal experts point out key risks that could stall progress:
Delayed release of funds for pre-election activities limits early procurement of technology hardware and ballot printing contracts.
Outstanding vacancies in several parliamentary and ward seats require immediate resources before broader general election logistics can be finalized.
Pending legal updates surrounding campaign finance enforcement and boundary delimitations continue to add regulatory uncertainty.
The commission has maintained that maintaining an “irreducible minimum” budget is non-negotiable to protect election integrity. The Secretariat continues to engage the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee (JLAC) and the National Treasury to secure supplementary budget approvals necessary to bridge the funding deficit.
For additional visual coverage on campaign finance rules and election spending caps set by the electoral body, watch IEBC Sets Sh6.1B Presidential Campaign Spending Limit, which outlines recent news reports on candidate spending regulations.
