IEBC Publishes Key Dates for 2027 General Election

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has published a timetable outlining key dates and deadlines ahead of the 2027 General Election. 

The timetable, contained in a Gazette Notice dated Thursday, August 20, sets out deadlines for political parties, candidates, public officers, independent candidates and other election stakeholders. 

Political parties intending to participate in the election must submit the names of their authorised persons and their specimen signatures to IEBC by October 15, 2026. 

Their nomination rules must also be certified by the Registrar of Political Parties by October 30, 2026, before the certified rules are submitted to IEBC by November 6, 2026.

The Gazette Notice also sets December 9, 2026, as a key deadline relating to public fundraising and harambees. 

A person who directly or indirectly participates in a public fundraising or harambee within the eight months preceding the General Election risks being disqualified from contesting.

However, according to IEBC, the Elections Act does not prohibit fundraising by or on behalf of a person contesting an election, or fundraising for a political party.

Public officers intending to contest in the General Election must resign from public office by February 10, 2027. The deadline falls six months before the August 10, 2027, election.

Political parties will also be required to have their membership lists certified by the Registrar of Political Parties by March 23, 2027. The certified lists must then be submitted to IEBC by April 12, 2027.

By April 8, 2027, political parties intending to field candidates must submit to IEBC details of their party primaries, including the names of people contesting the primaries, the dates of the primaries and the venues where they will take place.

IEBC will publish the names of people contesting party primaries and the dates of the primaries in the Kenya Gazette by April 16, 2027. 

The publication will be made within seven days of receiving the information from political parties.

Political parties must complete their primaries and resolve all intra-party disputes by May 8, 2027. 

By the same date, parties must submit to IEBC the names of candidates nominated through direct nomination or party primaries for the presidential election and other elective positions covered by the notice.

May 8 will also mark the deadline for independent candidates to leave registered political parties. Those intending to contest as independents must also submit their names and proposed symbols to IEBC by the same date.

IEBC will publish the names and symbols of independent candidates in the Gazette on May 14, 2027.

Presidential candidates will face an additional requirement on May 24, 2027, when they must submit to IEBC a list containing the names, signatures and identity card or passport numbers of at least 2,000 registered voters in each of a majority of Kenya’s counties.

The campaign period will begin on May 29, 2027, for the presidential, National Assembly and Senate elections. 

Campaigning for the Governor position will begin on June 3, while campaigns for Members of County Assembly will begin on June 2 and those for County Woman Representatives will begin on June 7.

All campaigns will end on August 7, 2027, 48 hours before polling day. Campaigning will be permitted between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. during the designated campaign period.

The nomination period will run between May 29 and June 11, 2027, with different dates applying to different elective positions. 

Presidential candidates will present their nomination papers between May 29 and June 11.

For other positions, National Assembly nominations will take place from May 29 to June 1, Senate nominations from May 29 to June 2, Governor nominations from June 3 to June 6, MCA nominations from June 2 to June 11, and County Woman Representative nominations from June 7 to June 11.

Any dispute arising from the IEBC nomination process must be lodged with the Commission within 24 hours of the occurrence. The final date for lodging nomination disputes will be June 12, 2027.

IEBC will be required to determine nomination disputes within 10 days of their lodging, with June 23, 2027, set as the final date for the hearing and determination of the disputes.

Political parties participating in the General Election must submit their Party Lists to IEBC by June 25, 2027. The requirement applies to the National Assembly, Senate, County Woman Representative and MCA elections.

By July 27, 2027, political parties and candidates must appoint and submit to IEBC the names of their chief election agents.

For the presidential election, the requirement covers national and constituency chief election agents, while other elective positions will require county and constituency chief election agents.

The campaign period will officially close on August 7, 2027, after which campaigning will not be permitted during the 48-hour period leading up to polling day, which is set for Tuesday, August 10, 2027.