The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission says it requires Ksh.61.7 billion for the 2027 general election.
Deputy CEO Obadiah Keitany informed Parliament that Ksh.7 billion of this budget is allocated for boundary delimitation, awaiting court advisory.
“The commission projects an additional 5.7 million new voters, to have a total of 28 million in the 2027 election,” Keitany said.
The commission also highlighted that 14 by-elections are pending, with an estimated cost of Ksh.480 million. Additionally, IEBC needs to replace 45,352 Kenya Integrated Election Management System kits, at a cost of Ksh.7 billion. These kits, which capture voters’ facial images, fingerprints, and civil data, become obsolete after 10 years.
“There will be a total replacement of 45,352 KIEMS kits, except for the 14,000 bought in 2022. In total, 59,352 kits are required,” said IEBC Finance Director Osman Ibrahim.
The commission has not registered new voters since 2022 due to a lack of budget and commissioners, as the selection panel works to recruit new members.
The 2022 general election, involving over 22 million voters, cost Ksh.44.6 billion, making it one of the most expensive elections globally.