Explainers
How Kenya's next President will be chosen
Winning the most votes is not enough. A candidate needs more than half of all votes and a quarter of the vote in at least 24 counties, or the race goes to a run-off.
Kenyans vote for a President on Tuesday 10 August 2027, the second Tuesday of August, as the Constitution sets for every fifth year. On the same day they also elect governors, senators, woman representatives, MPs and members of county assemblies: six ballot papers in all.
The presidential race has its own rules, set out in Article 138 of the Constitution. They are stricter than "most votes wins".
Two tests in the first round
To be declared President after the first round, a candidate must pass two tests at once:
- More than half of all votes cast across the country.
- At least 25% of the votes cast in each of more than half of the counties. With 47 counties, that means 24 or more.
The second test is there so that a President cannot win on the back of a few populous regions alone. A candidate who is very strong in some parts of the country but has almost no support in others can win the most votes and still fall short.
If nobody passes both tests
If no candidate passes both tests, the two candidates with the most votes face each other in a run-off within 30 days of the result. In the run-off the candidate with the most votes wins (Article 138(5) and (7)).
Running mates
Every presidential candidate names a running mate, who becomes Deputy President if they win (Article 148). Voters do not vote for the Deputy President separately.
Getting on the ballot
A presidential candidate must be nominated by a political party or stand as an independent, and must be backed by at least 2,000 registered voters in each of a majority of the counties (Article 137).
After the vote
- The chair of the IEBC must declare the presidential result within seven days of the election (Article 138(10)).
- Any voter can challenge the result at the Supreme Court within seven days of the declaration. The court must decide within 14 days. If it annuls the election, a fresh one must be held within 60 days (Article 140).
- If there is no petition, the new President is sworn in on the first Tuesday after the 14th day following the declaration (Article 141).
Two terms only
No one may serve more than two terms as President (Article 142). William Ruto, elected in 2022, is eligible to run for a second term in 2027.
See the 2027 race for everyone in the field, and the latest polls for how they stand.
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