Political parties given key deadlines for nominations and 2027 election preparations - here are the dates

Political parties preparing to participate in Kenya's 2027 General Election have been issued a series of timelines governing their nominations, membership records, election rules and other pre-election processes.

The schedule has been published by the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) and is based on requirements under the Political Parties Act and Elections Act.

The timeline comes as preparations for the August 10, 2027 General Election continue. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has already set out its broader election preparation roadmap for the poll.

The ORPP has identified October 7 to October 15, 2026, as a key period for political party nomination-related processes.

During this period, parties are required to submit the names and specimen signatures of their authorised officials to the Registrar of Political Parties.

The same information must be submitted to the IEBC by October 15, 2026.

Political parties are also required to submit their elections and nomination rules to the ORPP between September 28 and October 16, 2026.

The Registrar is then expected to certify the political party nomination rules by October 30, 2026, while parties have until November 6, 2026, to submit their nomination rules to the IEBC.

A party intending to conduct nominations must notify the ORPP of the method it plans to use in accordance with its nomination rules at least 10 days before the nomination date.

Parties must similarly notify the Registrar of the dates, venues and names of members seeking nomination at least 10 days before the exercise.

They are required to provide the address of their official website to the ORPP at least 14 days before the party nomination, while details of nomination dates and venues must be published on the party's website at least seven days before the exercise.

The ORPP will also publish the dates and venues of party nominations on its own website at least seven days before the scheduled nominations.

For direct nominations, parties are required to display lists of eligible members at nomination venues before the exercise.

The schedule also requires parties to submit details of the party organ conducting direct nominations and the procedure it will use, as well as provide essential election materials including ballot papers, ballot boxes and copies of relevant party membership registers.

For parties using indirect nominations, delegates participating in the exercise must be selected from among registered party members and their details submitted to the ORPP.

The timeline requires parties to submit the list of delegates at least seven days before the nomination date, while the date and venue of the delegates' meeting must be communicated at least 10 days beforehand.

Candidates will also be required to submit self-declaration forms to their parties under the Leadership and Integrity Act before party nominations.

Political parties must subsequently confirm that their candidates meet the requirements of the Constitution, Elections Act, Political Parties Act and other relevant laws before submitting their names to the ORPP.

The timeline also establishes important dates for political party membership records.

Parties are required to submit their membership lists to the ORPP between March 16 and March 23, 2027, with the Registrar expected to certify the membership registers by March 23.

A party seeking a certified membership register must make its request at least 21 days before its nomination date, while the ORPP is required to provide the certified register within seven days of the request.

Political parties must also submit a register of their members, together with a statement of their assets and liabilities, to the ORPP by May 12, 2027.

For coalitions, parties seeking registration of a coalition political party must submit their coalition agreement to the ORPP by April 12, 2027.

Agreements for the formation of pre-election coalitions must be submitted by May 9, 2027.

Anyone intending to run as an independent candidate must resign from a political party by May 8, 2027, while the submission and certification of symbols and certification that an individual is not a member of a political party will take place between March 23 and May 8, 2027.

Political parties involved in mergers are required to submit their merger agreements to the ORPP within 21 days of signing the agreement.

The timelines provide political parties with a detailed roadmap for completing key organisational and nomination processes ahead of the 2027 election.

The IEBC's own election operations plan confirms that Kenya's next General Election is scheduled for August 10, 2027, and outlines preparations covering voter registration, voter education, logistics, technology, stakeholder engagement and other elements of the electoral cycle.