The Counties of Kenya (Swahili: Kaunti za Kenya) are geographical units created by the 2010 Constitution of Kenya as the new units of devolved government. Requirements to vie as a Governor and Running mate in Kenya. They replaced the previous provincial system. The establishment and executive powers of the counties is provided in Chapter Eleven of the Constitution on devolved government, the Constitution’s Fourth Schedule and any other legislation passed by the Senate of Kenya concerning counties. The counties are also single-member constituencies which elect members of the Senate, and special woman members to the National Assembly
As of 2022, there are 47 counties whose size and boundaries are based on 1992 districts. Following the re-organization of Kenya’s national administration, counties were integrated into a new national administration with the national government posting a county commissioner to each county to serve as a collaborative link with county government.
The county governor and the deputy county governor are the chief executive and deputy chief executive of the county, respectively. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission shall not conduct a separate election for the deputy governor but shall declare the running mate of the person who is elected county governor to have been elected as the deputy governor. Each county will be run by an executive committee, consisting of:
- A governor, elected directly by the people
- A deputy, elected as running mate of the successful candidate for governorship
- A number of committee members not exceeding a third (or ten where a county assembly has more than 30 members) of the members of the respective county assembly
- A county secretary, nominated by the governor and approved by the county assembly, who will double up as head of the county public service, and secretary to the county executive committee
Uniquely among democracies, Kenyan law requires governors to have a recognised university degree.
Requirements to vie as a Governor and Running mate in Kenya
NOTICE is hereby given to the public on the qualifications and requirements for candidates contesting for elective positions together with nominees to Party Lists in the upcoming General Election scheduled to be held on 9th August, 2022
Qualifications:
- Must be a Kenyan citizen for at least 10 years before the election;
- Must not owe allegiance to a foreign state;
- Must be eligible for election as a member of the county assembly;
- Must be a registered voter;
- Is a holder of a degree from a University recognized in Kenya;
- Is nominated by a Political Party or is an independent candidate;
- Must meet the statutory moral and ethical requirements under the Leadership and Integrity Act;
- Must have been Kenyan citizens for at least 10 years;
- Must not hold dual citizenship unless citizenship of the other country has been obtained by operation of law without capacity to opt out;
- Must not be an undischarged bankrupt;
- Must not be subject to a sentence of imprisonment of at least six months from the date of registration of candidates or date of elections;
- Must not have been found to have abused or misused state or public office or contravened Chapter Six of the Constitution; and
- Must not have been dismissed or removed from public office for contravening the provisions of Articles 75, 76, 77 and 78 of the Constitution.
(All requirement for County Governor shall apply to the Deputy County Governor and there shall be no separate nomination for the deputy)
Requirements:
The Candidate must submit the following documents to the Commission during the Commission Nomination:
- Certified copies of educational qualification certificates, including a Degree Certificate in accordance with Section 22 of the Elections Act, 2011 and Regulation 47 of Elections (General) Regulations, 2012.
Where the body that issued the Degree Certificate is not based in Kenya, a certified copy of the certificate must be submitted which must be authenticated and or equated by the Commission for University Education. Degree Certificates issued by Kenyan Institutions shall be certified by the issuing institution.
- A copy of a National Identity Card/valid Passport (the document used by the candidate to register as a voter)
- A Passport size photograph with white background submitted in hard and soft copy.
- If a Party Candidate, a Nomination Certificate from a fully registered political party nominating the candidate, duly signed and dated by an authorized official of the party
- A duly signed and dated Code of Conduct (Second Schedule of the Elections Act, 2011)
- A duly filled Commission Nomination Form, including an original Statutory Declaration Form for purposes of nomination (Regulation 18(3) Elections (General) Regulations, 2012) and an original Self-Declaration Form (Regulation 46 of Elections (General) Regulations, 2012)
Nomination fees in a Banker’s Cheque payable to IEBC:
- 50, 000 for candidates
- 25,000 for a candidate who is a youth, a woman or a person with a disability.
For an Independent Candidate:
- A Clearance Certificate from the Registrar of Political Parties certifying that the person was not a member of any political party for the last 3 months before the elections; (Regulation 15(a) (General) Regulations, 2012
- An electronic version and the duly filled list of at least 500 supporters in the prescribed form, submitted to the Commission.
- Be accompanied by copies of the identity cards of the 500 supporters.
- A duly filled Form of Intention to Contest, prescribed by the Commission.
- A symbol the candidate intends to use during the election, which has been approved by the Commission
Establish and maintain a functioning office in the respective electoral area where the candidate is contesting, which must be available for inspection by the Commission at least 45 days before the elections. The address, including the physical address of the office must be communicated to the Commission.
