IEBC Reveals Ksh7 Billion Needed To Hire Kenyans For 2027 Elections
During the 2022 elections, over 500,000 poll officials were employed by the IEBC
Marvin Chege 
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has revealed that it is seeking Ksh7 billion to hire Kenyans interested in working as poll officials ahead of the 2027 general elections.
IEBC Deputy CEO Obadiah Keitany, who on Tuesday, February 25 appeared before a National Assembly Committee, revealed that the aforementioned amount would go towards paying election officials who are hired to oversee the elections at the constituency, county and polling station levels.
During the 2022 elections, over 500,000 poll officials were employed by the IEBC to serve as Returning Officers, Presiding Officers and Poll Clerks, with their pay coming per the days they worked during the electioneering period.
"Going by the last election, we had 500,000 temporary polls officials and the budget if you look at it is around Ksh7 billion," he stated.
IEBC Deputy CEO Obadiah Keitany during a meeting with the Disability Inclusion Coordinating Committee (DICC) of IEBC on May 30, 2023. /IEBC
The Ksh7 billion kitty is out of the Ksh61.7 billion IEBC states it requires to successfully and effectively conduct the entire 2027 general election, an amount which will be used to clear pending bills and a variety of activities ranging from boundary delimitation, kit replacement, allowances, ballot paper transport, and other miscellaneous costs.
“The Commission projects an additional 5.7 million new voters to have a total of 28 million in the 2027 General Election,” the Deputy CEO further remarked.
Keitany further confirmed that Ksh7 billion would be required for boundary delimitation, though this was a matter that still needed advisory from the courts.
The Kenya Integrated Election Management System (KIEMS) kits are electronic devices equipped with biometric voter registration technology designed to verify voter identities and prevent impersonation. These devices also allow presiding officers to electronically transmit election results to observation centres using specially configured mobile networks.
Ibrahim noted that KIEMS kits become obsolete after 10 years, necessitating their replacement to ensure the integrity and efficiency of the electoral process.
However, the IEBC's projected election budget has sparked debate among the public, with many questioning the high costs of conducting elections in Kenya. Historically, the country has been among the most expensive in the developing world when it comes to election spending.
In the 2013 General Election, the Treasury allocated Ksh36 billion to the IEBC, amounting to Ksh2,500 per voter, with 14.4 million registered voters at the time. By 2017, the budget had ballooned to Ksh49.9 billion, while in 2022, it slightly decreased to Ksh44.6 billion, despite the voter base increasing to 22.1 million.
Even with these fluctuations, Kenya remains one of the countries with the highest election costs globally. In contrast, India, despite having a population 26 times larger than Kenya, conducts elections at a significantly lower cost per voter. During its 2014 General Election, India spent approximately Ksh65.5 billion to manage 814.5 million registered voters, translating to just Ksh80.5 per voter—a fraction of what Kenya spends.
Still, IEBC emphasizes the importance of timely and adequate funding to facilitate comprehensive preparedness for the upcoming elections, including technological upgrades, voter education, and the execution of pending electoral activities.
