IEBC chairperson Erastus Ethekon / HANDOUTThe 2027 political calendar is now formally in place after the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) published timelines for the General Election scheduled for August 10.
The commission’s notice, signed by IEBC chairperson Erastus Ethekon, not only confirms the election date but also sets out timelines governing the respective elections and campaign financing, giving political parties and candidates a formal framework ahead of the polls.
The IEBC said the timelines are contained in several Kenya Gazette notices published in August 2026.
The notices cover the various elective positions to be contested in the general election and campaign financing requirements, according to the commission.
The publication comes as political activities ahead of the 2027 polls continue to take shape, with parties and prospective candidates expected to align their preparations with the timelines set by the electoral body.
The commission said the full notices are available on its website for public access.
In June, IEBC unveiled a detailed roadmap for the 2027 general election, setting out crucial deadlines that political parties, public officers and aspiring candidates must meet ahead of the polls scheduled for August 10, 2027.
The timelines are contained in the Election Operations Plan (EOP) 2025-2027, a framework anchored in the IEBC Strategic Plan 2024-2029 and designed to guide the planning, coordination, implementation and monitoring of activities leading up to the election.
Speaking during the launch of the plan, chairperson of the Election Operations Committee Commissioner Ann Nderitu said the roadmap aims to ensure the timely implementation of electoral activities, strengthen transparency and accountability, promote stakeholder engagement and citizen participation, and ensure compliance with the country's electoral laws.
According to the plan, Kenyans will go to the polls on Tuesday, August 10, 2027, to elect the President and other leaders.
However, preparations for the election will begin much earlier, with public officers intending to contest required to resign from their positions by February 9, 2027, six months before the election date.
Political parties will then be expected to submit their membership lists to the commission by March 16, 2027.
By the same date, parties intending to field candidates in the general election must also provide IEBC with the names of aspirants seeking nomination through party primaries, as well as details of the dates and venues where the nominations will be conducted.
The commission set May 9, 2027, as the deadline for political parties to conclude their primaries and resolve all intra-party disputes.
The date is equally significant for independent candidates, who must have resigned from any political party by then and submitted their names and symbols to the commission.
Candidate nominations for both political parties and independent aspirants will take place between May 29 and June 11, 2027.
During this period, candidates will be required to personally deliver their nomination papers to the IEBC chairperson at designated venues and within the prescribed hours.
Any disputes arising from nominations must be lodged with the commission no later than June 12, 2027.
The IEBC says such disputes will be determined within ten days of being filed to avoid delays in the electoral calendar.
The roadmap also outlined the official campaign period, which will commence on May 29, 2027, and run until August 7, 2027. Campaigns must cease 48 hours before election day in accordance with electoral laws.
