The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has stated that it currently does not have enough funds to facilitate the upcoming by-elections.
While appearing before the National Assembly Committee on Treasury and Finance on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, the commission’s chairperson, Erastus Ethekon, explained that it is facing a financial shortfall and requires an additional allocation which will total up to Ksh1 billion, to facilitate the polls.
The IEBC chairman noted that the commission had initially received funds sufficient for 16 by-elections.
However, after consultations with the Treasury, it was agreed that additional money would be provided to cover eight more by-elections.
The treasury, according to the chairman, assured the commission that the outstanding funds would be disbursed.
He further explained that there has been a back-and-forth between the commission and the Treasury regarding the release of the additional money, even as time runs out ahead of the November 27 by-elections.
He stressed that elections are highly time-sensitive and require timely financing.
“The 16 had been provided for, and we sort of caused a meeting with the treasury, and we raised a matter of the additional 8, and they assured us that they will be giving us funding for those ones. We are working with them; there is a little bit of back and forth. I hope they will unlock that very quickly because the timelines are sensitive,” Ethekon stated.
IEBC CEO Marjan Hussein Marjan added that the commission has so far received Ksh788 million to facilitate 16 by-elections, while the remaining Ksh258 million required for the other eight is yet to be released. This brings the total budget to KSh 1.047 billion.
“We have a total of 24 by-elections; the ones that are funded are 16, and the total budget for those 16 by-elections is Ksh 788 million; for the 8 remaining, it is Ksh 258 million, with the total cost capped at Ksh 1.047 billion,” Marijn stated.
In addition to the by-elections, the commission revealed that it is targeting 6.3 million new voters in the next general election, with about 70 per cent of them expected to be young people.
