The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) plans to increase the number of polling stations from 46,229 used in the 2022 General Election to 55,393 ahead of the 2027 polls. The expansion of more than 9,000 stations is intended to maintain the statutory limit of 700 voters per polling station.Eastleighvoice
The move is driven by the commission’s projection that the national voter register will grow from about 22.3 million to 28.63 million by the August 10, 2027 General Election. This requires an additional 6.3 million new registrations through ongoing Continuous Voter Registration and planned Mass Voter Registration exercises.Kenya-today
IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon has said the exact locations of the new stations will be determined after the registration exercise is completed. Decisions will be based on voter density at existing centres and the distance voters have to travel. “The new polling stations will be set out in areas where the existing polling stations and voter registration centres go beyond the maximum 700 voters,” Ethekon stated in a presentation to Parliament. The commission will also prioritise bringing polling centres closer to voters.
Section 38A of the Elections Act currently caps the number of voters per polling station at 700 “for the purposes of providing efficient and effective conduct of elections.” While the IEBC has proposed raising this limit to 1,000—a change approved by the Senate in December 2024—the National Assembly’s Justice and Legal Affairs Committee has opposed the increase. Committee chair Tharaka MP George Murugara has indicated that MPs will push amendments to retain the 700-voter ceiling.Kenya-today
To support the expanded network, the IEBC estimates it will need approximately 59,959 Kenya Integrated Elections Management System (KIEMS) kits, including units reserved for training. The final voter register is scheduled for verification six months before the election.
The commission has also shifted its forecasting approach from census-based estimates to a voter-eligible population model that draws on data from the National Registration Bureau and the Directorate of Immigration Services. Officials say this provides a more accurate target of citizens who hold the identity documents required for registration.
The planned expansion forms part of broader preparations for the 2027 General Election, even as the commission’s overall budget proposals continue to face scrutiny in Parliament. Further details on the distribution of the additional polling stations are expected once registration figures are clearer.