IEBC sets February 10 deadline for public officers eyeing 2027 seats to resign

Public officers planning to contest for elective seats in the 2027 General Election have been given until February 10, 2027, to resign from office.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) announced the deadline on Thursday as it released key timelines and preparations for the August 10, 2027 General Election.

“Any public officer who intends to contest in this election must resign from public office by Wednesday, 10th February 2027, which is exactly six months before the election,” the Commission Chair Erastus Ethekon said.

The February 10 deadline is among a series of dates announced by the electoral commission as political parties and aspirants begin preparing for the next General Election.

The IEBC said adherence to the timelines would be “non-negotiable”, stressing that they are legally binding and necessary for the orderly conduct of the election.

The Commission also confirmed that Kenyans will go to the polls on Tuesday, August 10, 2027, despite an ongoing constitutional and legal debate over the timing of the next presidential election.

Under the IEBC timeline, political parties will also be required to submit their membership lists and details of candidates taking part in party primaries by March 16, 2027.

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All party primaries and related disputes must then be concluded by May 8, 2027.

Independent candidates will also be required to meet their legal requirements by the same date.

Presidential aspirants will have until May 24, 2027, to submit the required list of supporting voters from a majority of Kenya’s counties.

Candidate registration will begin on May 29, 2027, with different deadlines set for the various elective positions.

The official campaign period will begin once candidates are registered, but not earlier than May 29, 2027.

Campaigning outside the prescribed period is unlawful, according to the IEBC.

This includes the use of campaign posters, caravans, billboards and other forms of campaigning.

The IEBC has also warned that violations of the Electoral Code of Conduct could attract tough sanctions, including fines, restrictions on public meetings and, in serious cases, possible exclusion from ongoing or future elections.

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