NAIROBI, Kenya Mar 15 – The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has announced that by-elections will be held on Thursday, May 14, 2026, to fill vacant elective positions in three electoral areas across the country.
In a notice issued on Sunday, the commission said the polls will be conducted to elect a new Member of the National Assembly for Emurua Dikirr Constituency in Narok County.
The seat felt vacant following the untimely demise of Johanna Ngeno who perished following a helicopter crash in Mosop on February 28.
The electoral agency also announced that two ward-level by-elections will be held on the same day to fill vacant seats in county assemblies.
These include the Member of County Assembly positions for Porro Ward in Samburu County and Endo Ward in Elgeyo-Marakwet County.
IEBC said the by-elections will be conducted in accordance with the Constitution and electoral laws governing the filling of vacant seats.
The commission is expected to release a detailed election timetable outlining key activities including candidate nominations, campaign periods and voter preparedness ahead of the May polls.
IEBC had requested Sh59.38 million to conduct the by-election in Emurua Dikirr, even as the cost of recent mid-term elections continues to rise.
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.
