By-elections to blow more than Sh1 billion

He also said that the commission is reviewing the Supreme Court's advice on boundary delimitation before deciding whether to carry out the process before the 2027 General Election.

Mr Ethekon acknowledged that the prolonged delay in establishing the IEBC has resulted in the postponement of by-elections and the boundary delimitation process exceeding its constitutional deadlines. However, he sought to assure the country that the upcoming mini-election will serve as a trial run for the 2027 polls.

“Immediately we came into office, we prioritised the pending by-elections as some of the electoral areas have been without representation for more than two years now. It takes a lot of processes that include planning, procurement of election materials, training among others,” said Mr Ethekon.

Mr Ethekon was appointed IEBC Chairperson on July 11, 2025, to start the six-year non-renewable tenure at the commission alongside Ms Fahima Abdallah (vice chairperson) and commissioners Ann Nderitu, Moses Mukhwana, Hassan Noor, Prof Francis Aduol and Mary Sorobit.

Their appointment arose after the tenure of the former commission, led by the late Wafula Chebukati and members Abdi Guliye and Boya Molu, ended in January 2023.

The IEBC boss appealed to the MPs for enhanced funding as he urged politicians to tone down on rhetoric ahead of the next general election and let the commission execute its constitutional mandate.

“The indicators of political violence are there. You hear of the rhetoric from politicians and social media, but we plan to use the by-elections to build trust among Kenyans. All we can tell Kenyans is to calm down the temperatures and let the commission work to deliver.”

Of the Sh1.046 billion mini-election budget, IEBC CEO Marjan Hussein Marjan noted that the National Treasury has already allocated Sh788 million for the 16 vacant electoral areas and plans to add Sh258 million for the eight others, whose non-representation occurred after the initial budgeting.

The vacant electoral areas include Baringo County (Senate) and Banissa, Kasipul, Magarini, Malava, Mbeere North and Ugunja constituencies.

Also affected is Kabuchai/Chwele Ward in Bungoma County, among others.

The Baringo County senatorial position became vacant following the death of Senator William Cheptumo on February 16, 2025.

Banissa constituency was left vacant after its MP Hassan Kullow died in a road accident on March 29, 2023, same case as Malava constituency, where MP Malulu Injendi died on February 17, 2025, after an illness.

For Magarini constituency, the Supreme Court on May 31, 2024, upheld the nullification of the election of Mr Harrison Kombe.

The appointment to the Cabinet of Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi on August 8, 2024, also necessitated a by-election.

The Mbeere North seat became vacant after President William Ruto appointed Mr Geoffrey Ruku to the Cabinet on April 17, 2025, following his approval by the National Assembly.

The commission has also gazetted September 9, 2025 as the launch of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) that seeks to enlist 6.3 million new voters in all the electoral areas and the 47 Huduma Centres countrywide.

According to Mr Ethekon, it is expected that 70 percent of the new voters will be youth who have attained the age of majority for the 2027 polls.

Although Mr Ethekon did not reveal the cost of the CVR, details presented to the National Assembly show that the commission has projected Sh7 billion for the exercise.

The IEBC chairperson noted that the lapsed constitutional timelines on boundary delimitation present the country with a major challenge.

Article 89 (2) of the Constitution states that IEBC shall review the names and boundaries of constituencies at intervals of not less than eight years, and not more than 12 years.

It goes further to state that any review shall be completed at least 12 months before a general election of MPs.

This means that to comply with the constitution, IEBC ought to have completed the exercise either by July 2021, being 12 months to the August 9, 2022 General Election, or by February 7, 2024.

The last review was undertaken in the then 210 constituencies in 2012, leading to the creation of 290 constituencies that were gazetted on February 7, 2012.

Yesterday Mr Ethekon noted that the IEBC secretariat had sought an advisory at the Supreme Court on the way forward regarding the boundary review, which was referred back to the commission.

“We are interpreting the advisory opinion of the Supreme Court and its practicability. The commission will meet and make a decision for the country on how the matter will be handled,” said Mr Ethekon.

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