How many people do I vote for in a Kenyan general election?
Six. At a Kenyan general election you mark six separate ballots: President, Governor, Senator, Woman Representative, Member of Parliament and Member of County Assembly. Five of the six are decided by where you are registered.
The six seats
- 1
President
Elected nationally. Heads the national government. One ballot shared by the whole country.
- 2
Governor
Elected by your county. Runs the county government — county health facilities, county roads, markets, water and the county budget.
- 3
Senator
Elected by your county. Represents the county in the Senate, which protects county governments and their share of national revenue.
- 4
Woman Representative
Elected by your county to the National Assembly, one per county.
- 5
Member of Parliament
Elected by your constituency to the National Assembly. Makes national law and oversees the constituency development fund.
- 6
Member of County Assembly (MCA)
Elected by your ward — the smallest unit, and the one closest to you. Represents the ward in the county assembly, and is usually the seat with most bearing on day-to-day local decisions.
Why the ward matters most
Kenya has 47 counties, 290 constituencies and 1,450 wards. Your ward sits inside a constituency, which sits inside a county — so the single fact of which ward you are registered in determines five of your six ballots.
It is also the seat people are least able to name a candidate for, despite the MCA being the representative whose decisions they meet most often.