The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has assured Parliament that preparations for the August 10, 2027 General Election are on course, with the electoral agency working against a detailed timetable covering voter registration, technology, logistics, boundaries and training.
IEBC chairman Erastus Ethekon gave the assurance when the commission appeared before the National Assembly Liaison Committee, as the electoral body moves into a critical phase of preparations for the next General Election.
Ethekon told MPs that the commission had adopted a defined electoral calendar and was implementing activities within prescribed timelines.
“The Commission is implementing a clearly defined electoral calendar and undertaking critical preparatory activities to ensure that key legal, operational, financial and logistical requirements are addressed within the prescribed timelines,” Ethekon said.
The commission's appearance before Parliament comes less than a year before the August 2027 election, with IEBC required to complete a wide range of activities before polling day.
These include continuous voter registration, review of electoral boundaries, voter education, candidate registration, procurement of election materials, deployment of technology, training of election officials, security coordination and mechanisms for resolving electoral disputes.
IEBC said these activities are being implemented through its Election Operations Plan, which translates the commission's 2024–2029 Strategic Plan into a detailed framework for the electoral cycle.
The commission's preparations have already moved beyond planning. IEBC has been conducting continuous voter registration and, by August, had reported that nearly 3 million Kenyans had registered since the exercise began in September 2025. It is targeting a voters' register of about 28.5 million for the 2027 election.
The electoral agency has also started preparations for the procurement of election materials and technology, although some major procurement processes have faced challenges.
Earlier this month, Ethekon said no company had been selected to provide the Integrated Elections Management System, pushing back against claims that the tender had already been awarded.
The commission has previously acknowledged that several components of the election programme require early action, including funding and the implementation of its electoral operations plan.
In an earlier address, Ethekon said the Election Operations Plan would provide the roadmap for the 2027 election, covering activities from voter registration and education to technology, procurement, logistics, security and dispute prevention.
“This is our commitment to early planning, institutional preparedness, transparency, predictability and accountability,” he said.
He has also stressed that preparations cannot be left until the final months before an election.
“Good elections do not happen by chance; they are the result of meticulous planning, adequate preparation and unwavering adherence to the law,” Ethekon said.
The latest briefing to MPs therefore places the commission's electoral calendar at the centre of its preparations, with IEBC saying the various components of the election must be completed in sequence and within the legal deadlines.
The commission said it would continue engaging political parties, state agencies, civil society, the media and other stakeholders throughout the electoral cycle.
“The Commission remains committed to delivering a credible, transparent, inclusive, accessible and efficient electoral process in the 2027 General Election, in accordance with the Constitution and the applicable electoral laws,” Ethekon told the committee.
IEBC's assurances come as the election period has formally commenced following the gazettement of the 2027 election framework. The commission has also published campaign-financing rules and spending limits and begun filling vacant positions ahead of the poll.
The commission has said the preparations will require coordination across institutions, particularly on security, justice, procurement and other areas outside its direct control.
Ethekon has previously called for closer cooperation among justice-sector institutions to safeguard the electoral process and ensure that reforms and other preparations are completed on time.
With the countdown to August 2027 now under way, the commission faces the task of translating its electoral calendar into completed preparations, while maintaining public confidence in the process.
IEBC says it will keep stakeholders engaged throughout the cycle as it works towards delivering the next General Election.
