The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has released key timelines that will guide preparations for the 2027 General Election, including deadlines for party primaries, nominations, campaigns and dispute resolution.
Speaking during the launch of the IEBC Strategic Plan 2024-2029 and Election Operation Plan 2025-2027 on June 24, Commissioner Ann Nderitu, Chairperson of the Election Operations Committee, announcing the timelines stressed the importance of adhering to electoral timelines.
“We have the critical timelines just in summary. There are many key timelines in the strategic plan but there are very critical timelines that we need to highlight just as a snapshot because I want to submit that elections is not about guesswork; it is actually management and when timelines are set they are not for purposes of decoration but to be followed,” Nderitu said.
She reiterated that the date of the next General Election is fixed under the Constitution.
“The first timeline, the election of president together with the other elections shall be held on the second Tuesday, August 10th 2027, that is cast in stone. Election shall be there and will be held on Tuesday 10th August 2027,” she stated.
Under the roadmap, public officers seeking elective office must resign by February 9, 2027, in compliance with electoral laws.
The commission has also directed political parties to submit their membership lists by March 16, 2027. By the same date, parties will be required to provide the IEBC with the names of candidates intending to participate in party primaries, as well as the dates and venues for those nominations.
Political parties must conclude all party primaries and resolve any intra-party disputes by May 9, 2027, at least three months before the General Election.
Candidates seeking to contest as independent candidates will also be required to submit their names and proposed election symbols to the commission by May 9, 2027.
The nomination period for both political party candidates and independent candidates will run from May 29 to June 11, 2027. The IEBC has also outlined specific hours for the presentation of nomination papers.
Candidates will be required to personally deliver their nomination papers to the IEBC Chairperson between 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., and between 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m., at designated venues identified by the commission.
Any disputes arising from nominations must be lodged with the commission no later than June 12, 2027. The IEBC will be required to determine and resolve such disputes within ten days of their submission.
The official campaign period for the August 10, 2027 General Election will commence on May 29, 2027, and end on August 7, 2027, exactly 48 hours before polling day.
The commission’s launch of its Strategic Plan 2024–2029 and the Election Operations Plan 2025–2027 ceremony presided over by IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon forms part of the commission’s preparations for the 2027 polls, with the timelines intended to guide political parties, candidates, and other stakeholders in the electoral process.
