Kenya's six elective positions
At a general election, voters in each ward of Kenya elect six offices on the same day: President, Governor, Senator, Woman Representative, Member of Parliament and Member of County Assembly. This page explains each office, how many seats there are, and who can stand, cited to the Constitution.
Kenyans elect 1,882 seats at a general election: 1 President, 47 governors, 47 senators, 47 woman representatives, 290 Members of Parliament and 1,450 Members of County Assembly. All six are elected on the same day, the second Tuesday in August every fifth year. The next general election falls on .
| Office | Elected by | Seats |
|---|---|---|
| President | The whole country, voting in every constituency | 1 |
| Governor | One county | 47 |
| Senator | One county (each county is a single-member constituency) | 47 |
| Woman Rep | One county (each county is a single-member constituency) | 47 |
| MP | One constituency | 290 |
| MCA | One county assembly ward | 1,450 |
| Total | 1,882 |
President
Head of State and Government, exercising the executive authority of the Republic. Elected on the same day as the general election of Members of Parliament. Each presidential candidate nominates a running mate for Deputy President.
Elected by: The whole country, voting in every constituency. Seats: 1. Elected with a running mate for Deputy President.
Who can stand
- A citizen by birth who is qualified to stand for election as a Member of Parliament.
- Nominated by a political party or standing as an independent candidate.
- Nominated by not fewer than 2,000 voters from each of a majority of the counties.
- To win in the first round, a candidate needs more than half of all votes cast and at least 25% of the votes in each of more than half of the counties. Otherwise a fresh election between the top candidates is held within 30 days.
- No person may hold office as President for more than two terms.
Constitution of Kenya: Article 131 , Article 136 , Article 137 , Article 138 , Article 142 , Article 148
County Governor
Chief executive of the county. Directly elected by the county’s registered voters on the same day as the general election of Members of Parliament.
Elected by: One county. Seats: 47. One per county. The deputy governor is declared elected on the governor’s ticket — the IEBC holds no separate deputy election.
Who can stand
- Must be eligible for election as a member of a county assembly.
- Each candidate nominates a running mate for deputy governor.
- The candidate with the greatest number of votes in the county is declared elected.
- No person may serve more than two terms as governor.
Constitution of Kenya: Article 179 , Article 180 , Article 193
Senator
Member of the Senate, which represents the counties and protects the interests of the counties and their governments.
Elected by: One county (each county is a single-member constituency). Seats: 47. 47 elected senators. The Senate also has 16 women nominated by parties, 4 members representing youth and persons with disabilities, and the Speaker.
Who can stand
- Registered as a voter and meets the educational, moral and ethical requirements set by the Constitution or an Act of Parliament.
- Nominated by a political party, or an independent candidate supported by at least 2,000 registered voters in the county.
- Disqualifications include being a State or public officer, having served on the IEBC in the previous five years, or being a member of a county assembly.
Constitution of Kenya: Article 96 , Article 98 , Article 99
Woman Representative (County Woman Member of the National Assembly)
Member of the National Assembly elected by the whole county. The National Assembly represents the people of the constituencies and special interests.
Elected by: One county (each county is a single-member constituency). Seats: 47. One woman member elected per county to the National Assembly.
Who can stand
- Only women stand for this seat.
- Same qualifications as other Members of Parliament: registered voter, and the educational, moral and ethical requirements set by the Constitution or an Act of Parliament.
- Nominated by a political party or standing as an independent candidate.
Constitution of Kenya: Article 95 , Article 97 , Article 99
Member of Parliament (MP)
Member of the National Assembly for a single-member constituency.
Elected by: One constituency. Seats: 290. 290 constituency seats. The National Assembly also has 47 county woman members, 12 nominated members and the Speaker.
Who can stand
- Registered as a voter and meets the educational, moral and ethical requirements set by the Constitution or an Act of Parliament.
- Nominated by a political party, or an independent candidate supported by at least 1,000 registered voters in the constituency.
- Disqualifications include being a State or public officer, having served on the IEBC in the previous five years, or being a member of a county assembly.
Constitution of Kenya: Article 89 , Article 95 , Article 97 , Article 99
Member of County Assembly (MCA)
Member of the county assembly, elected by a ward on the same day as the general election of Members of Parliament, for a five-year term.
Elected by: One county assembly ward. Seats: 1,450. One per ward. Parties also nominate special-seat members so that no more than two-thirds of an assembly are of the same gender, plus members for marginalised groups.
Who can stand
- Registered as a voter and meets the educational, moral and ethical requirements set by the Constitution or an Act of Parliament.
- Nominated by a political party, or an independent candidate supported by at least 500 registered voters in the ward.
Constitution of Kenya: Article 177 , Article 193
What the Constitution leaves to Acts of Parliament
Education requirements, nomination fees, party primary rules, campaign periods and the detailed election timetable are set by Acts of Parliament, regulations and IEBC notices, and they can change between elections. VotePulse does not restate them here. Check the current requirements with the IEBC and your party before you plan a candidacy.
Running a campaign for one of these offices
Each office campaigns across a very different area — a single ward for an MCA, a whole county for a governor, the entire country for a presidential ticket. VotePulse prices its campaign platform by office for that reason; see plans by office or read what campaign management software does.