The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is turning to professional accountants to help tighten the monitoring of campaign money ahead of the 2027 General Election.
IEBC chairman Erastus Ethekon held talks with officials of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK) on Tuesday as the commission moves to strengthen implementation of campaign-finance rules covering political parties and candidates.
The engagement comes against the backdrop of concerns over the influence of money in elections, with Ethekon warning earlier this year that weak campaign-finance controls could undermine the electoral process.
“The absence of clear, enforceable rules on who can fund campaigns, how much they can contribute and from where those funds originate weakens our democratic processes and opens the door to undue influence,” Ethekon told Parliament.
The chairman said the objective of the new campaign-finance framework was to ensure that money does not determine electoral outcomes at the expense of voters.
“The objective is to ensure that electoral outcomes are determined by the free will of the people rather than by the disproportionate influence of financial resources,” Ethekon said during public consultations on the regulations in July.
The latest meeting with ICPAK seeks to give that framework a stronger professional backbone, with accountants expected to support monitoring, auditing and financial compliance.
ICPAK said accountants could play a wider role in safeguarding the electoral process, including auditing campaign finances in real time and participating in election administration.
“Accountability [is] the backbone of credible elections,” ICPAK said, arguing that accountants can bring “the financial discipline and integrity that elections demand.”
The professional body said its contribution could go beyond campaign accounts to include serving as presiding officers, returning officers and data-entry assistants.
ICPAK also pointed to its previous involvement in elections, saying it deployed more than 550 members as election observers in 2022.
The two institutions agreed to explore deeper collaboration on implementing the 2026 Campaign Financing Regulations, building the capacity of political parties on financial compliance and strengthening internal controls.
The proposed partnership will focus on campaign budgeting, financial controls, record keeping, disclosure and reporting obligations, expenditure monitoring and the ethical management of campaign resources.
The institutions also agreed to establish a joint capacity-building programme targeting political parties and other electoral stakeholders.
The training is expected to help political actors understand what will be required of them under the campaign-finance framework as the 2027 election approaches.
IEBC and ICPAK further agreed to convene a multi-sectoral policy dialogue bringing together political parties, government agencies, professional bodies, civil society organisations, academia and development partners.
The forum will focus on campaign financing and wider electoral accountability.
IEBC Vice Chairperson Fahima Abdalla Araphat, who chairs the commission’s Administration and Finance committee, welcomed the proposed collaboration, saying professional bodies have an important role in strengthening civic responsibility.
She urged ICPAK and other professional bodies to use their extensive membership networks to expand civic education and equip Kenyans with knowledge about the electoral process.
The push comes after IEBC gazetted the Election Campaign Financing Regulations, 2026, and contribution and spending limits for the August 10, 2027 General Election.
Under the new framework, candidates and political parties are required to appoint authorised persons to receive campaign contributions, manage expenditure and file reports on campaign finances.
The commission has also previously proposed spending limits running into billions of shillings, including a Sh4.44 billion ceiling for presidential candidates and Sh17.7 billion for political parties.
The campaign-finance law has, however, faced implementation challenges since its enactment.
Parliament noted earlier this year that the Election Campaign Financing Act, enacted in 2013, had never been fully implemented, leaving gaps in the regulation of political spending.
Ethekon has since said the commission wants the new framework to address those gaps before the 2027 polls.
“The framework seeks to strike a balance between enabling political parties and candidates to effectively campaign while safeguarding the integrity and credibility of the electoral process,” Ethekon said during the July consultations.
The commission has also stressed that enforcement will require cooperation beyond IEBC.
Earlier this month, Ethekon said the commission could not deliver the 2027 election on its own and called for closer cooperation among institutions involved in the electoral process.
“Elections cannot be left to IEBC alone. Independent does not mean you are operating in an island somewhere. You are operating in society which has diverse stakeholders,” Ethekon said.
The latest partnership with ICPAK therefore places professional accountants at the centre of efforts to monitor the financial side of the 2027 campaign.
