Moses Kuria Urges Public Officers to Resign Early Before 2027 Election

Former Trade and Industry Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has called on public officers who intend to contest seats in the 2027 General Election to step down now rather than wait for the statutory cut-off.

Writing on X on October 9 2026, Kuria said officers have exactly four months left and urged them not to delay, stating “If you love this great nation, I would encourage you not to wait for the cut-off date. Leave now to give government time to reorganise and avoid disruption of key services,” and adding “Kazi ni mingi, masaa ni machache.”

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has set February 9 2027 as the deadline for public officers seeking elective positions to resign, a date that falls six months before the poll scheduled for August 10 2027, IEBC Commissioner and Election Operation Committee chairperson Ann Nderitu confirmed during the launch of the Election Operation Plan 2025-2027.

The commission’s calendar also requires political parties to submit membership lists and primary contest details by March 16 2027, mandates that all party primaries be concluded and internal disputes resolved by May 9 2027, and sets the same May 9 2027 cut-off for independent candidates to withdraw from any registered party.

The nomination window for both party and independent candidates opens on May 29 and closes on June 11 2027, with any nomination disputes to be filed by June 12 2027 and resolved within ten days, while the official campaign period runs from May 29 2027 through August 7 2027.

The resignation requirement does not apply to the President, Deputy President, Members of Parliament, governors, deputy governors and Members of County Assemblies, as provided for in the law.

Kuria argued that early resignations would give government institutions time to plan replacements and maintain continuity of essential services, citing the heavy workload and limited time available for public agencies.