NAIROBI, Kenya Mar 11-The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has requested Sh59.38 million to conduct the by-election in Emurua Dikirr, even as the cost of recent mid-term elections continues to rise.
The seat felt vacant following the untimely demise of Johanna Ngeno who perished following a helicopter crash in Mosop on February 28.
The helicopter crash killed five others, had completed a series of movements across Narok, Trans Nzoia and Uasin Gishu counties before disappearing minutes after its final takeoff.
In the documents submitted to the National Assembly’s Justice and Legal Affairs Committee (JLAC), the commission said it has already prepared a budget estimate of Sh59.38 Million for the exercise to ensure operational readiness once the official legal writ declaring the seat vacant is issued.
The commission noted that although it is still awaiting formal notification to trigger the electoral process, it is taking early steps to mobilise resources and logistical arrangements for the by-election.
The path to a by-election is a strictly timed legal process that begins only after an electoral seat is formally declared vacant.
Under Article 103 of the Constitution, a vacancy can be triggered by a member’s death, resignation, or disqualification by a court of law.
Once this occurs, the Speaker of the relevant House has 21 days to issue a formal “writ” (a legal notification) to the IEBC.
This document serves as the official green light for the Commission to gazette the vacancy and set an election date. By law, the poll must then be conducted within 90 days.
The request comes amid rising expenditure on by-elections, with the IEBC revealing that it has already spent or sought approval for Sh392.06 million to fund a series of recent mid-term polls across the country.
According to the commission, elections held on November 27 covered eight elective positions, while another round of polls conducted on February 26 filled four elective seats. The budget also includes funding for two upcoming County Assembly Ward by-elections.
IEBC told MPs that the Sh59.38 million required for the Emurua Dikirr contest was not included in the Supplementary I budget estimates, forcing the commission to seek additional funds from Parliament.
If approved, the total cost of by-elections during the period will surpass Sh451 million, in the growing financial burden of conducting mid-term elections to fill vacant legislative seats outside the general election cycle.
The commission warned that failure to secure the additional allocation could strain its already stretched operational budget as it prepares to conduct further electoral processes.
Last year,the Commission cleared 181 candidates to contest in 24 different electoral areas, with the main polling day held on November 27, 2025.
This large-scale electoral exercise was followed by another set of by-elections held more recently on February 26, 2026.
These February polls were conducted to fill vacancies for the Member of the National Assembly for Isiolo South Constituency, as well as County Assembly Ward (MCA) seats in Muminji, Evurore, and West Kabras.
