Kenyans looking for short-term employment have been given a new opportunity after the electoral body opened applications for temporary staff ahead of the upcoming by-elections.
The exercise is part of preparations for the polls scheduled for February 26, 2026, and is expected to involve hundreds of workers across the affected areas.
In a public notice issued on Wednesday, January 21, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission said it is recruiting people to fill several support roles during the election period.
The available positions include support electoral trainers, presiding officers, deputy presiding officers, and polling clerks. These roles are crucial in ensuring that the voting process runs smoothly and according to the law.
The Commission invited interested and qualified applicants to submit their applications online through its official recruitment portal, jobs.iebc.or.ke.
Applicants have until Monday, January 26, 2026, to complete and submit their applications. IEBC emphasized that applications will only be accepted through the online system.
Support electoral trainers will play a key role during the preparation stage. Their main duty will be to assist in training presiding officers, their deputies, and polling clerks.
This training will focus on polling procedures, vote counting, and tallying of results. They will also help in setting up training venues, organizing training materials, and supervising other trainers involved at lower levels.
In addition, they will be responsible for collecting, securing, and distributing all election training materials during the training period.
Presiding officers and deputy presiding officers will be stationed at polling stations on election day. They will be in charge of overseeing all voting activities, ensuring that voting is done in a free and fair manner.
Their duties will include distributing materials to polling clerks, managing the polling station throughout the day, and ensuring that results are properly recorded.
After counting is completed, presiding officers will be responsible for delivering the results to the constituency returning officer.
Polling clerks will support the work at the polling stations. Their tasks will include setting up the polling station and counting area, checking voter details before voting, and assisting during the counting and sorting of ballots.
They will work closely with presiding officers to ensure order and accuracy during the process.
IEBC also outlined the daily pay rates for the temporary workers. Support electoral trainers will earn Ksh2,000 per day. Presiding officers will also earn Ksh2,000 per day, while deputy presiding officers will receive Ksh1,800 per day.
To apply, interested candidates should visit the IEBC website at iebc.or.ke.
From there, they should click on the “Work With Us” section, select “Vacancies” from the drop-down menu, then proceed to “Job Listings” and choose the position they wish to apply for.
The recruitment comes as IEBC prepares to conduct four by-elections later in February. These by-elections will be held to fill vacant seats in Isiolo South Constituency for the Member of the National Assembly position, as well as MCA seats in Muminji and Evurore wards in Embu County and West Kabras Ward in Kakamega County.
The Commission said the temporary staff will be key in ensuring the credibility and smooth running of these polls.
