The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has rolled out new limits for campaign spending for the General Election to be held in 2027, thus making the election one of the most regulated in Kenya's electoral history.
If the draft Election Campaign Finance Regulations are accepted, presidential candidates will not be allowed to spend more than Sh4.44 billion, while all political parties will not be allowed to spend more than Sh17.7 billion on campaigning. The proposal seeks to stem the prevalence of campaign overspending and bring transparency into the political arena before the elections.
Under the new regulations, spending limits will vary for all candidates depending on the number of voters, geographical location, and cost of campaigning in different parts of the country.
For example, in some large and sparsely populated counties like Turkana, campaign spending will be more than in smaller counties whereas when it comes to parliamentary elections it will depend on whether the constituency is vast or urban and compact. Since the IEBC expects the regulations to help equalize chances for all candidates, the commission believes the new rules will prevent rich candidate from employing their financial strength in elections thus ensuring accountability for the spending that candidates will make on their campaigns.
The new rules will be available for public debate before they are finalized and sent to Parliament for deliberation. The commission is urging Parliament to pass the rules in good time to allow elections to be held according to the set guidelines.
If the rules are passed, it will be the first time that the Elections Act will have any significant impact since it was passed into law ten years ago. The adoption of these regulations is expected to generate controversy among politicians and those aspiring for elections.
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