The government has gazetted new dates for the 2026 National Youth Council (NYC) elections following the postponement of the earlier July 2026 schedule to allow completion of legal and administrative requirements.

In Gazette Notice No. 10421 dated July 10, 2026, Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy, and Sports Salim Mvurya announced that ward-level elections will be held from October 9, 2026; constituency-level elections from October 16, 2026, while the National Youth Congress elections will take place from October 30, 2026.

The revised timetable replaces the earlier election schedule published under Gazette Notice No. 5586 of April 2026.

“The Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports has gazetted new dates for the highly anticipated National Youth Council (NYC) Elections, National Youth Congress Elections shall be held from 30th October, 2026, the post dated July 13, 2026, read in part.

Reason for postponement

The elections had initially been scheduled to run between July 5 and July 26, 2026.

However, on July 3, 2026, the National Steering Committee overseeing the elections announced that the process had been postponed because several legal and operational requirements had not been completed.

According to the committee, the pending activities included nationwide voter education under Regulation 21, voter and candidate registration under Regulations 15, 16 and 17, appointment and training of election officials under Regulations 24 and 25, and deployment of an election management system under Regulations 33 and 34.

The committee said the postponement was necessary “to protect the integrity, credibility, fairness, and orderly conduct of the elections and ensure full compliance with the National Youth Council (Election of Certain Council Members) Regulations, 2021.”

It added that although the decision inconvenienced candidates, delegates, development partners and other stakeholders, it would help ensure the elections are conducted in accordance with the law.

NYC confirms new schedule

On Monday, July 13, 2026, the National Youth Council confirmed the revised election dates through its official X account.

“The Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports has gazetted new dates for the highly anticipated National Youth Council (NYC) Elections.

For timely updates regarding the elections, follow our official social media pages and turn on post notifications so that you won’t miss any communication.”

The council urged stakeholders to rely on its official communication channels for updates throughout the electoral process.

The National Youth Council is a semi-autonomous government agency established under the National Youth Council Act to represent the interests of young people and promote their participation in national development.

The elections will constitute the council’s leadership in line with the National Youth Council (Election of Certain Council Members) Regulations, 2021.

The National Steering Committee has said it remains committed to delivering transparent, free, fair and inclusive elections.

It said preparations will continue to ensure all outstanding legal and operational requirements are completed before voting begins in October.

The committee added that any further information regarding the elections will be communicated through the Kenya Gazette and official platforms of the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports, the State Department for Youth Affairs and Creative Economy, and the National Youth Council.

The October 2026 timetable is expected to provide sufficient time for voter education, registration, training of election officials and deployment of election systems ahead of the three-stage electoral process.