Mudavadi warns 2027 elections face constitutional test
Kenya risks entering the 2027 General Election without meeting key constitutional requirements, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has warned.
Speaking at the 46th Annual Logooli Cultural Festival in Mbale, Vihiga County, Mudavadi said unresolved issues around electoral boundaries and population data could expose the next polls to legal challenges.
“There is a beckoning reality that 2027 is a referendum moment,” said Mr Mudavadi.
Missed deadlines
Mudavadi said the 2010 Constitution requires a review of electoral boundaries every eight to twelve years, with the latest deadline having lapsed on March 6, 2024.
“We are now in a period of constitutional non-compliance,” he said.
He linked the delay to the 2019 National Census, parts of which were nullified by the courts in Mandera, Wajir and Garissa.
A court-ordered mini-census in the three counties is due by January 2026.
“You cannot have a boundary review without a valid national census,” said Mr Mudavadi.
He said population growth has outpaced constitutional limits under Article 89(4), which caps constituencies at 290.
“Without a constitutional amendment, the IEBC cannot give high-population areas the representation they deserve,” he said.
He added that tensions also exist at the county level, where the County Governments Act caps wards at 1,450, despite rising population needs.
“We are trapped in not providing new wards to bring resources closer to our people,” he said.
He spoke during the festival held under the theme “Uvwami ni miandu”, loosely translated as leadership is wealth.
He praised the organisers for involving the youth and said cultural platforms remain vital for community identity and continuity.
The Logooli Cultural Festival, now in its 46th year, is approaching its Golden Jubilee.
