Six seats, one platform: how campaigns differ from MCA to President

How the size of the electoral area changes the way you organise field teams, messaging and agents.

Kenya elects six offices at a general election: the President, county Governors, Senators, County Woman Members of the National Assembly, Members of the National Assembly and Members of County Assemblies.

The area decides the organisation

An MCA campaign covers one of 1,450 wards and is won household by household. An MP covers one of 290 constituencies, so the unit of planning becomes the ward. Governor, Senator and Woman Representative candidates campaign across a whole county, coordinating constituency teams. A presidential campaign is organised by county across all 47.

What stays the same

Whatever the seat, the winning loop is the same: know your supporters, contact the persuadable, protect your base, and make sure every polling station has a trained agent on election day.