The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has formally gazetted the commencement of the election period for the August 10, 2027 General Election, setting out a detailed roadmap governing voter registration, political party activities, candidate nominations, campaigns, election offences and preparations for the polls.
IEBC Chairperson Erastus Edung Ethekon said the commission had published Kenya Gazette Notice No. 13497 on Thursday, August 20, 2026, formally bringing into force the Electoral Code of Conduct and the Election Offences Act in preparation for the 2027 General Election.
The gazettement marks a significant milestone in the electoral calendar, effectively placing political parties, prosepective candidates and other election stakeholders under the legal framework governing the conduct of the election.
Ethekon said the commission was committed to conducting the election in accordance with the law and guided by the principles of independence, accountability, transparency and professionalism.
“The foundation of a credible election is a clean, accurate and verifiable register of voters,” Ethekon said, as he outlined the commission’s preparations for the election.
The IEBC said Continuous Voter Registration, which began on September 29, 2025, remains ongoing, allowing eligible Kenyans to register as voters, transfer their registration and update their particulars.
The commission projects that the 2027 register will contain approximately 28.5 million voters, compared with the 22.1 million registered for the 2022 General Election.
As of August 20, 2026, the commission said 2,936,516 Kenyans had registered as voters.
The IEBC is also expanding voter registration for Kenyans in diaspora from 12 to 26 countries as part of efforts to advance the constitutional right of eligible citizens in the diaspora to participate in elections.
Ethekon said biometric technology would strengthen the integrity of the voter register by enabling voters to inspect and verify their biometric data while facilitating the removal of deceased persons and cases of double registration. The register will also undergo a forensic audit by an independent professional firm before being certified for use in the 2027 election.
The commission is engaging government agencies, political parties, the media, civil society organizations, faith-based organizations, development partners and members of the public as part of preparations for the polls. It is also working to strengthen coordination between security and justice-sector agencies to promote a peaceful and secure electoral environment.
The IEBC stressed that all dates contained in the electoral calendar are legally binding.
“Adherence to the set timelines is non-negotiable. These are not mere guidelines, but legally binding requirements essential to the orderly and credible conduct of the electoral process,” Ethekon said.
The commission reaffirmed that the nextt General Election is scheduled for Tuesday, August 10, 2027, when Kenyans will elect the President, MPs, Senators, Governors, County Woman Representatives and MCAs.
The IEBC also addressed the ongoing legal debate over the constitutional timing of the next election, noting that the Malindi High Court had previously held that the presidential election was constitutionally due on August 11, 2026. However, the court suspended the effect of its decision until the next General Election scheduled for August 10, 2027, with the matter remaining subject to appellate and constitutional processes.
Public officers intending to constest elective positions must resign from public office by February 10, 2027, exactly six months before Election Day.
Political parties have until October 15, 2026, to submit the names of their authorised persons and specimen signatures to the IEBC. By October 30, parties must have their nomination rules certified by the Registrar of Political Parties, with the certified rules submitted to the commission by November 6.
Parties will be required to submit their membership lists to the IEBC by March 16, 2027. On the same date, they must submit the names of candidates seeking to contest their internal primaries, together with the dates and venues of the primaries.
All party primaries and resulting intra-party disputes must be concluded by May 8, 2027.
Independent candidates will also have until May 8 to demonstrate that they are not members of any registered political party and submit their names and symbols to the IEBC.
Presidential aspirants will have an additional requirement to submit, by May 24, 2027, a list containing the names, signatures and national identity card or valid passport numbers of at least 2,000 registerd voters in a majority of Kenya’s counties.
Candidate registration will run from May 29 to June 11, 2027, depending on the elective position. Presidential candidates will be registered between May 29 and June 11, National Assembly candidates between May 29 and June 1, Senators between May 29 and June 2, Governors betwween June 3 and June 6, County Assembly Ward candidates between June 2 and June 11, and County Woman Representative candidates between June 7 and June 11.
Any dispute arising from the nomination process must be lodged within 24 hours of its occurrence and, in any event, not later than June 12, 2027. The IEBC has set June 23 as the deadline for resolving nomination disputes.
The commission has also warned against premature campaigning. Campaigning for the 2027 election will o nly begin after a candidate has been registered and, in any event, not before May 29, 2027.
The campaign period will close on August 7, 2027, exactly 48 hours before Election Day.
“Any campaigning outisde this prescribed period is unlawful. This includes the display of campaign posters, caravans, billboards and other forms of campaigning,” Ethekon said.
Political parties, candidates and their supporters will also be subject to the Electoral Code of Conduct, which establishes standards of conduct for participants in the electoral process and empowers the IEBC to impose sanctions for violations.
The sanctions include formal warnings, fines, restrictions on the use of public media allocated for electoral purposes and bans on public meetings, demonstrations or marches. The commission may also restrict candidates from entering specified electoral areas for campaign purposes or prohibit the erection of posters and banners and distribution of campaign materials.
Persistent or serious violations could result in a participants
The sanctions include formal warnings, fines, restrictions on the use of public media allocated for electoral purposes and bans on public meetings, demonstrations or marches. The commission may also restrict candidates from entering specified electoral areas for campaign purposes or prohibit the erection of posters and banners and distribution of campaign materials.
Persistent or serious violations could result in a participant being prohibited from participating in an ongoing or future election. In cases involving violence, intimidation or gross and systematic violations, the IEBC may approach the High Court for appropriate orders, including cancellation of a candidate’s or party’s right to participate in the next election.
The commission has also reminded political actors that campaigning in places of worship or during burial ceremonies is prohibited throughout the election period.
The Election Offences Act, 2016, has also come into force for the election period. The law criminalises conduct that undermines the integrity and credibility of elections, including bribery, violence, intimidation, multiple voting and interference with electoral processes.
The IEBC has called on the National Police Service and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to enforce the law.
The commission also warned political actors against unauthorised use of its logo on campaign materials, saying such use could falsely imply IEBC endorsement and undermine its independence and non-partisan status. Those using the logo have been directed to remove the offending materials within five days.
The IEBC has meanwhile reviewed the legal framework governing elections and developed proposed amendments to strengthen the conduct and management of the electoral process. The proposals include amendments to the Elections Laws, Election Offences Act and County Governments Act, as well as changes to various election regulations.
Election campaign financing will also be governed by newly gazetted regulations. The IEBC said it gazetted the Election Campaign Financing Regulations 2026 and contribution and spending limits for the 2027 General Election on August 7, 2026.
The regulations require political parties, candidates, campaign teams, donors and other regulated persons to comply with rules governing contributions, expenditure, record-keeping, disclosure, reporting and accountability.
On its own preparedness, the commission said it had begun filling vacant positions ahead of the election, including the positions of Commission Secretary and Chief Executive Officer and seven director-level positions.
The IEBC has also begun procuring election materials. However, procurement of election technology and ballot papers has temporarily been halted following a request for review filed at the Public Procurement Administrative Review Board, while procurement of other strategic and non-strategic materials remains on course.
With the election period now formally underway, Ethekon urged political actors and their supporters to exercise restraint and keep political competition within the law.
He warned against allowing political differences to degenerate into violence, division and misinformation, urging Kenyans to “choose peace over violence, unity over division and issues over personalities.”
The IEBC also urged eligible Kenyans to register and verify their voter details, reject misinformation and exercise their democratic rights peacefully and responsibly.
