The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has confirmed Tuesday, August 10, 2027, as the date for Kenya’s next General Election, unveiling a detailed roadmap of deadlines that will guide candidates, political parties, and public officers ahead of the vote.
The announcement was made by Commissioner Ann Nderitu, chairperson of the Election Operations Committee, during the launch of the IEBC’s Strategic Plan 2024-2029 and Election Operations Plan (EOP) 2025–2027 in Nairobi on June 24. Nderitu said the election of the President of Kenya, alongside other elective positions, will be held on the set date.
Among the most significant timelines is the resignation deadline for public officers seeking elective office. Nderitu confirmed that public officers intending to contest must resign from their positions by February 9, 2027, in compliance with the legal requirement to leave office at least six months before polling day. This rule, anchored in Section 43(5) of the Elections Act, applies broadly across government, covering cabinet secretaries, principal secretaries, county executives, parastatal officials, teachers, and members of the disciplined services, among others.
The commission also set deadlines for political parties and independent candidates. Political parties must submit membership lists and the names of primary contestants, along with dates and venues of party primaries, to the commission by March 16, 2027, and must complete primaries and resolve internal disputes by May 9, 2027. Independent candidates face the same May 9 deadline to deregister from any political party, and must submit their names and symbols to the commission by then as well.
Nomination for both party and independent candidates will run from May 29 to June 11, 2027, with candidates required to personally deliver their papers to the IEBC chairperson. Any disputes arising from nominations must be filed by June 12, 2027, and will be determined within ten days of being lodged.
Campaigning will officially begin on May 29, 2027, and end on August 7, 2027 48 hours before polling day, as required by law.
The plan comes at a critical moment for the IEBC, which spent an extended period without substantive leadership, delaying by-elections in more than 20 parliamentary and ward seats as well as a pending boundary review. Chairperson Erastus Ethekon was sworn in on July 11, 2025, inheriting the backlog. The commission also faces financial constraints, requiring Sh67.07 billion for the 2027 polls but having received only Sh41.50 billion from the Treasury so far, leaving a deficit of over Sh24 billion.
