Kenya’s 2027 General Election is now firmly on the calendar, with the IEBC setting August 10 as polling day and unveiling a timetable that kicks off months earlier. From party preparations and nominations to campaign financing and voting, political parties, candidates and voters now have a clear roadmap toward one of the country’s most closely watched elections.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has announced that Kenya’s next General Election will be held on Tuesday, 10 August 2027. The announcement was published in a special issue of the Kenya Gazette dated 20 August 2026. It covers the presidential, parliamentary, gubernatorial, County Woman Representative, and County Assembly elections. 

Voting is still more than a year away, but the official timetable shows political parties and aspiring candidates must begin preparing immediately.

Key election dates and requirements

DateActivity
DateActivity
15 October 2026Submission of authorized officials’ names and specimen signatures (Political Parties)
14 May 2027Publication of independent candidates (IEBC)
30 October 2026Certification of nomination rules (Political Parties)
29 May–11 June 2027Presidential nominations (Presidential candidates)
6 November 2026Submission of certified nomination rules (Political Parties)
29 May–1 June 2027National Assembly nominations (Parliamentary candidates)
9 December 2026Public fundraising restriction begins (Candidates and political parties0
29 May–2 June 2027Senate nominations (Senate candidates)
10 February 2027

Resignation deadline for public officers (Public officers intending to contest)

Campaign-financing account deadline (Political parties and candidates)


2–11 June 2027County Assembly nominations (MCA candidates)
23 March 2027Certification of party membership lists (Political parties)
7–11 June 2027County Woman Representative nominations (County Woman Representative candidates)
8 April 2027Submission of party-primary details (Political parties)
12 June 2027Final deadline for nomination disputes (Candidates and political parties)
12 April 2027Submission of certified membership lists (Political parties)
23 June 2027Deadline for determining nomination disputes (IEBC)
8 May 2027

Completion of party primaries (Political parties)

Submission of nominated candidates (Political parties)

Independent-candidate deadline (Independent candidates)

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10 August 2027General Election Day (All voters and candidates)

Campaign periods will vary

Campaigning will not begin on the same day for every candidate. Campaigns for most elective positions start on 29 May 2027. Campaigns for Members of County Assemblies begin on 2 June, while those for County Woman Representatives start on 7 June.
All campaigns must end on 7 August 2027, 48 hours before Election Day. Campaign activities will only be permitted between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Final campaign-financing reports to be submitted by 22nd November 2027.

Campaign money under scrutiny

The IEBC has also introduced important financial reporting deadlines. Political parties and candidates must submit the names of their authorized campaign-financing officials by 29 May 2027. They must also appoint members of the expenditure committee by the same date.

Party candidates must submit preliminary nomination expenditure reports within 21 days of their party nominations and by 8 June 2027 at the latest. Final expenditure reports are due by 22 November 2027.

The rules prohibit political parties and candidates from receiving cash or in-kind donations from the State, State institutions, government agencies or other public resources. Anyone who violates the campaign-financing rules may be subject to penalties, comprising fines or imprisonment.

What the timetable means

The IEBC calendar shows that Kenya’s 2027 election will be determined through a long process of party preparation, nominations, campaigns and financial reporting. For voters, the key date is 10 August 2027. For political parties and candidates, however, the election process begins much earlier—with the first major deadline arriving in October 2026.