NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 30 – The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is targeting submition of draft campaign financing regulations for the 2027 General Election to Parliament in August after concluding nationwide public participation.
Speaking during a national consultative forum on the proposed Election Campaign Financing Regulations, 2026, IEBC Chairperson Edung Ethekon said the commission is finalising public submissions before forwarding the statutory instruments to Parliament’s Committee on Delegated Legislation.
The regulations seek to tighten oversight of political campaign spending.
“We came into office with time on our side, but now we are left with roughly one year to the 2027 polls,” Ethekon said, underscoring the urgency of completing the legal framework ahead of the election.
The commission is currently reviewing feedback collected from county cluster engagements involving political parties, civil society organisations, election observers and members of the public.
Ethekon said the proposed regulations are designed to operationalise the Election Campaign Financing Act, 2013 by introducing clear contribution and spending limits while strengthening transparency and accountability in campaign financing.
The draft rules propose mandatory campaign bank accounts for candidates and political parties, registration of campaign finance managers, stricter disclosure of donations and expenditures, as well as compliance, audit and dispute resolution mechanisms.
IEBC proposes mandatory campaign bank accounts for 2027 polls
IEBC Commissioner Mary Karen Sorobit said the quality of submissions received so far demonstrates strong stakeholder engagement and will help the commission refine a practical and enforceable framework.
“Your constructive feedback and well-considered proposals will greatly enrich the review process and contribute to the development of a robust, practical and inclusive regulatory framework,” Sorobit said.
The commission said the public participation exercise also seeks to validate the methodology for determining campaign contribution and spending limits across all elective positions.
Previous attempts to operationalise the law ahead of the 2017 and 2022 General Elections failed after Parliament annulled the regulations.
The current review follows a High Court directive affirming the IEBC’s constitutional mandate to develop campaign financing regulations and establish spending caps through a robust public participation process.
If approved by Parliament, the regulations will provide the legal framework governing campaign financing for candidates and political parties in the 2027 General Election.
