IEBC Chairperson Ethekon says budget cut will affect 2027 election

Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairperson Erastus Ethekon says that budget cuts will significantly affect preparations for the 2027 general election.

Speaking in a Tuesday interview with KBC, Ethekon said that the commission had requested Ksh. 61.7 billion for the election, but Parliament reduced the amount to Ksh.57.3 billion, a cut he cautioned could hinder the IEBC’s ability to effectively oversee the elections.

He said that the reduced budget will force the commission to scale down personnel at polling stations and at the national tallying centre, a move that could disrupt the overall election process.  

Ethekon noted that about 53 per cent of the election budget is allocated to staffing, and in the 2022 general elections, the commission deployed more than 500,000 officials. 

“Reducing the resources we need will definitely have a big impact on the elections. When you look at the breakdown of the budget, a huge part of it was dedicated to the deployment of the personnel officers who will oversee the elections. If you reduce the budget, it will affect the level of deployment,” Ethekon said.

Ethekon further warned that insufficient funding could compromise the Kenya Integrated Elections Management System (KIEMS), which is essential for managing key stages of the electoral process.

KIEMS integrates key technologies, including Biometric Voter Registration (BVR), Electronic Voter Identification (EVID), and Electronic Results Transmission System (ERTS), all of which ensure secure voters’ data and an efficient poll. 

“Our elections are largely technology-driven. The kits that we bought for the 2013 and 2017 elections, some became obsolete, and so we need to buy new kits with more advanced technology,” he stated.

On Voter Education, he emphasised the need to educate Kenyans about their political rights and role in the electoral process, an exercise that carries significant costs. He added that since the IEBC conducts six elections simultaneously, the cost implication is even greater.

Ethekon also pointed to the Constitution framework that guides elections, noting that Article 88 of the Constitution grants the commission its mandate and outlines the laws governing its operations.

In September, IEBC CEO Marjan Hussein Marjan similarly raised concerns, revealing that the National Treasury had allocated Ksh. 49.75 billion against the commission’s initial budget, creating a Ksh. 7.6 billion deficit.

“The deficit will affect the Commission adversely in conducting the Elections,” Marjan said.

The commission is currently conducting a continuous voter registration exercise ahead of the anticipated 2027 General Elections.