The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has officially set Tuesday, August 10, 2027, as the date for Kenya’s next General Election, setting the stage for a 12-month countdown to the polls.
The commission has also gazetted key legal instruments outlining the requirements, timelines and penalties governing political parties, candidates and other participants in the electoral process.
Under the new timelines, political parties intending to participate in the election must submit the names and specimen signatures of their authorised officials to the IEBC by Thursday, October 15, 2026.
Parties planning to field candidates through primaries are required to submit the names of contestants, as well as the dates and venues of their party primaries, by Thursday, April 8, 2027.
Political parties intending to nominate presidential candidates through direct nominations or party primaries must submit the names of their nominees to the commission by Saturday, May 8, 2027.
The IEBC has scheduled presidential nomination exercises to take place between Saturday, May 29, and Friday, June 11, 2027.
The commission has also reminded public officers seeking elective positions that they must resign from public office at least six months before the election. The deadline for such resignations is Wednesday, February 10, 2027.
The official campaign period will begin on Saturday, May 29, 2027, and end on Saturday, August 7, 2027, 48 hours before election day.
The IEBC has further outlined restrictions on campaign financing. Under the regulations, individuals who directly or indirectly participate in public fundraisers or harambees within eight months preceding the election—starting December 9, 2026,may be disqualified from contesting.
Candidates and political parties will also be prohibited from receiving cash or in-kind contributions from the State, State institutions, agencies or other public resources.
The commission has warned political parties and candidates against violating electoral laws, saying those found in breach risk disqualification from the 2027 General Election.
The gazetted timelines mark the formal beginning of the electoral calendar as political parties and prospective candidates prepare for the 2027 polls.
