Treasury CS Mbadi tells IEBC to cut costs, reuse equipment to curb rising election expenses

Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has warned the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) against recklessly using public funds, insisting that the commission must adopt austerity measures to curb ballooning election expenses.

While appearing before the Senate Devolution Committee on Thursday, Mbadi said the government would not support wasteful procurement practices and urged the IEBC to reuse equipment such as ballot boxes and biometric kits instead of buying new ones for every electoral cycle.

“There are things that you buy and you don’t dispose of immediately. Why do you buy them every election cycle? Every election cycle, you want new things. Even ballot boxes?” Mbadi asked.

“Even if they look a bit old, who is fighting with them? Why must they be bought every election? A lot of savings can be realised.”

Lean budget

The CS maintained that the commission must operate within a lean budget, saying that the cost of elections in Kenya is unsustainable.

“IEBC must be efficient. The cost of elections in this country is simply too high,” Mbadi said, warning that the Treasury would conduct oversight on how the commission utilises its budget.

He warned of dire consequences should investigations reveal any misappropriation of public funds.

“We’re going to ask tough questions. Even the IEBC, we are going to ask questions. There are things that you buy and do not dispose of immediately. Why do you buy them in every election cycle?” he asked, specifically referring to biometric kits and surveillance equipment.

Although the current budget does not include funds for the upcoming by-elections or the 2027 General Elections, Mbadi maintained that the government is obligated to finance both exercises but stressed that the IEBC must reduce its costs.

Cost too high

“We have no option; we must run elections in 2027 and even the by-elections, so we have to realign our budgets. I know IEBC is complaining, but they must be efficient; the cost of elections is too high,” he said.

Mbadi made the remarks as political tensions rise ahead of upcoming mini-polls, widely viewed as a test run for the 2027 General Election. A total of 22 seats are up for grabs, including six in the National Assembly, one in the Senate, and 15 Member of County Assembly (MCA) positions.

Kenya continues to hold some of the costliest elections in Africa.

The 2022 General Election cost the country around Sh36 billion, with the IEBC accounting for Sh34.5 billion. With 22.1 million registered voters, the per-voter cost stood at roughly Sh2,000.

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2027 elections budget

In February, IEBC Deputy CEO Obadiah Keitany told a National Assembly committee that the 2027 elections would require Sh61 billion. The funds would cover boundary delimitation, equipment procurement, staff allowances, ballot paper logistics, and other operational expenses.

Keitany also said the IEBC plans to register 5.7 million new voters, raising the total to 28 million. Of the proposed budget, Sh7 billion is earmarked for boundary delimitation, though the matter remains under court review.

IEBC Finance Director Osman Ibrahim added that the commission must replace 45,352 Kenya Integrated Election Management System (KIEMS) kits, essential for capturing biometric and civil data.

At the time of reporting, the IEBC still had 14 pending by-elections, projected to cost Sh480 million.

While reaffirming government support for timely elections, Treasury CS John Mbadi insisted that IEBC must reduce its operational costs.

“We will run our elections in 2027 within the time required, and I do not think there will be any hitch,” he said, adding that the Treasury would release adequate funds but with strict conditions to ensure efficiency.