2027 General Election Preparations in Jeopardy as Treasury Omits Ksh9.2 Billion from Budget

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2027 General Election Preparations in Jeopardy as Treasury Omits Ksh9.2 Billion from Budget

Preparations for Kenya’s 2027 General Election could face significant delays after the National Treasury disclosed that the required Ksh9.2 billion has not been allocated in the proposed 2025/26 financial year budget estimates. The revelation was made by Treasury Principal Secretary Dr. Chris Kiptoo during a presentation before the National Assembly’s Budget and Appropriation Committee on May 28, 2025, in Nairobi.

Dr. Kiptoo, speaking on behalf of Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi, urged lawmakers to urgently address the budget shortfall before submitting their committee report next week. He warned that the exclusion of the election funding jeopardizes the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission’s (IEBC) ability to conduct timely and credible elections in 2027.

The IEBC intends to register 6.3 million new voters, in addition to the current 22.1 million already on the register. It also plans to deploy 59,352 election kits—55,393 for polling stations and 3,959 for training. Of these, 45,352 older kits procured in 2017 are due for replacement, while 14,000 from 2022 are expected to be reused.

The funding crisis follows a prior warning from Justice and Legal Affairs Committee Chair Gitonga Murugara, who reported that the IEBC is also burdened with Ksh3.8 billion in pending bills, including Ksh2.65 billion in legal fees and Ksh298 million for election logistics. Parliament has instructed the IEBC to provide primary documentation to justify these claims before additional funding is considered.

Beyond election-related concerns, Dr. Kiptoo highlighted other critical funding gaps, including Ksh17.6 billion for police medical cover and Ksh6 billion for police group life insurance—both excluded from the current estimates. He also pointed to a Ksh34 billion shortfall for Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) university scholarships and Ksh11.3 billion for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) scholarships.

Addressing the fiscal outlook, the PS stated that projected revenue for FY 2025/26 stands at Ksh3.3 trillion (17.2% of GDP), against a total expenditure of Ksh4.2 trillion (22% of GDP), with the fiscal deficit expected to narrow to 4.5% of GDP. “First, inflation has declined to 4.1 per cent in April 2025, from a peak of 9.6 per cent in October 2022,” Kiptoo noted.

With critical national functions—including the upcoming general elections—at risk due to budget constraints, Parliament faces mounting pressure to re-examine and amend the current fiscal estimates. The decisions made in the coming weeks could determine whether the country is adequately prepared to hold the 2027 polls and maintain other essential services.

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2027 General Election Preparations in Jeopardy as Treasury Omits Ksh9.2 Billion from Budget