?????? IEBC Demands Ksh 61 Billion ($460M) for 2027 Kenyan Polls!

Nairobi, Kenya: The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) says it needs Ksh 61.7 billion ($460 million) to run Kenya’s 2027 General Election. On February 25, 2025, IEBC Deputy CEO Obadiah Keitany told Parliament the money will cover voter registration, new election kits, and by-elections, expecting 28 million voters by then.

This huge budget is up from the Ksh 44.6 billion ($333 million) spent on the 2022 elections, making Kenya’s polls some of the world’s most expensive. The IEBC plans to replace 59,352 voting kits costing Ksh 7 billion ($52 million) and handle 14 pending by-elections for Ksh 480 million ($3.6 million). Critics argue this amount is too much and doesn’t make sense, questioning why Kenya can’t use online voting or blockchain technology, especially with M-Pesa’s success showing Kenyans trust tech for money, paving the way for secure digital voting.

The news has sparked debate—some say it’s wasteful, others fear poor planning. With Kenya’s tech history, many wonder why the IEBC isn’t using modern solutions like online or blockchain voting to save money and boost trust in elections, instead of sticking to costly traditional methods.

Question:

Should Kenya Spend Ksh 61 Billion ($460M) on Elections?