The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has received certified nomination rules from 105 fully registered political parties ahead of the August 10, 2027 General Election, marking a key step in preparations for the next polls.
In a press release dated Wednesday, November 11, IEBC Chairperson Erastus Edung Ethekon said all 105 parties submitted their rules by the November 6, 2026 deadline.
The submissions outline the procedures through which political parties intend to identify and select candidates to represent them in elective positions during the next General Election.
Following the receipt of the documents, IEBC will undertake a comprehensive review within 14 days to establish whether the rules comply with the Constitution, the Elections Act and applicable regulations.
The assessment will examine candidate eligibility requirements, the methods parties intend to use to select their nominees and the extent to which party members will participate in the nomination process.
The commission will also assess provisions on the representation of special interest groups, gender inclusion and internal mechanisms for resolving disputes arising from party nominations.
The submission process followed a timeline published by the commission in the Kenya Gazette, which required the Registrar of Political Parties to certify the nomination rules by October 30, 2026, before political parties forwarded the documents to IEBC by November 6.
The exercise is anchored in Article 88(4)(d) of the Constitution, which gives IEBC the mandate to regulate the process through which political parties nominate candidates for elections.
Section 27(1) of the Elections Act also requires political parties to submit their nomination rules to the commission at least six months before nominating their candidates.
Under Section 27(2A), IEBC is required to review the rules within 14 days and either issue a certificate of compliance or direct a political party to amend rules that fail to meet the prescribed standards.
Parties directed to make amendments are required to address the identified shortcomings within a further 14 days, as provided for under the same provision.
IEBC cautioned that receiving the documents does not mean the parties have already been approved to conduct their nominations. Their compliance status will only be established after the review is completed.
The commission said certificates of compliance would be issued to parties whose rules meet the constitutional, statutory and regulatory requirements. Those found to have shortcomings will be informed of the specific areas requiring changes and directed to make the necessary amendments.
IEBC further clarified that only fully registered political parties, legally recognised and authorised to nominate candidates for elective positions, were eligible to submit their rules. Parties that had not attained full registration status by the November 6 deadline were therefore excluded from the process.
The commission said it would continue engaging political parties and other relevant stakeholders throughout the exercise to facilitate compliance and promote transparent, fair and credible nominations.
The review is an important stage in the preparations for the 2027 elections, as political party nomination rules will determine how candidates are selected and how disputes arising from the process are handled before the polls.
