Appearing before the IEBC selection panel on Monday, Amadi suggested that the current 46,232 polling stations be reduced to 22,000.
She cited voter turnout trends during general elections, noting that, on average, only about 65 per cent of registered voters show up at polling stations to vote.
Given this low voter turnout, Amadi recommended that the IEBC be allowed to increase the number of voters per polling station from the current 700 to 1,000 as an administrative measure.
Currently, each of the 46,232 polling stations across the country is capped at 700 voters, up from the previous limit of 500.
According to Amadi, reducing the number of polling stations would significantly cut the total cost of managing elections.
"Reducing the number of polling stations would lead to fewer resources being required, including security, transport, staff, and ballot boxes," she told the panel led by Dr. Nelson Makanda.
“When the number of polling stations is fixed at the current level, the budget doubles unnecessarily.”
She further argued that the proposed reduction aligns with the government's ongoing austerity measures.
The cost of conducting Kenya’s general elections has been rising steadily, with IEBC estimating that it will need Sh61 billion to conduct the 2027 polls.
Amadi noted that the IEBC’s Legal Affairs Committee, which serves as the liaison between the commission and the political class, would need to identify areas requiring legislative reforms.
Once these areas are identified, she suggested that Parliament enact laws to strengthen the commission’s administrative authority.
"We need a legal framework that is enabling rather than restrictive to the administrative process," she said.
“With the 2027 general elections fast approaching, time is short. The incoming team must work on multiple tasks simultaneously to ensure the IEBC operates within a stable legal framework.”
The Dr. Nelson Makanda-led selection panel is currently interviewing 11 candidates shortlisted for the IEBC chairperson position.
The successful candidate will succeed the late Wafula Chebukati, who passed away last month after completing his six-year term in 2023.
The interviews are being conducted at the College of Insurance in South C, Nairobi.
