IEBC walks tightrope over degree rule for MP, MCA aspirants

**Degree requirement for MPs and MCAs returns to centre stage ahead of 2027 vote**

The contentious question of whether candidates for member of parliament and member of county assembly seats should be required to hold university degrees is once again dividing political opinion in Kenya, with the 2027 election cycle reigniting a debate that has periodically convulsed the country's constitutional discourse.

The controversy stems from Article 99 of the 2010 Constitution, which sets educational thresholds for parliamentary aspirants. A deadline originally tied to the 2017 elections was extended, but successive attempts to fully enforce or permanently waive the degree requirement have met resistance from lawmakers wary of locking out a significant portion of the adult population — and, critics note, from incumbents without degrees who wish to retain their seats.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission now faces pressure to clarify its position before the registration and clearance processes for 2027 candidates get under way. Any ambiguity risks a repeat of the legal chaos that surrounded the rule in previous cycles, when last-minute court rulings created uncertainty for both aspirants and returning officers.

Proponents of the degree requirement argue that legislators need sufficient academic grounding to scrutinise complex legislation, budget documents, and policy frameworks in a bicameral parliament that handles increasingly technical matters. Opponents counter that academic credentials are a poor proxy for leadership ability and that the rule effectively discriminates against candidates from disadvantaged communities where access to university education has historically been limited.

Kenya's gross tertiary enrolment ratio remains below 15 percent, meaning the majority of adults over 30 — the cohort most likely to seek political office — did not attend university. The IEBC's decision on enforcement will effectively determine who gets to stand, shaping the character of the next parliament before a single vote is cast.