Who does what? The leaders you vote for

Many voters are disappointed because they expect one leader to fix a problem that belongs to another. Knowing who does what helps you judge candidates by the job they are actually applying for, and ask better questions.

President

The President is head of State and of the national government and leads the executive, with the Deputy President and Cabinet. The President is elected for a term and is limited to two terms.

Ask candidates: What will you do about national issues such as security, foreign affairs, national roads and the national budget?

Governor

The Governor is the chief executive of a county and leads the county government, including its executive committee. County governments handle matters the Constitution gives to counties, such as county health services, agriculture, county roads and transport, pre-primary education, trade licensing and county planning.

Ask candidates: How will you run county hospitals? What is your plan for the county budget?

Senator

Each county elects one Senator. The Senate represents the counties and protects their interests. Senators take part in making laws that concern counties, decide how national revenue is shared among counties, and oversee the national money sent to county governments.

Ask candidates: How will you make sure our county gets its fair share, and that the money is used well?

Member of Parliament (MP)

Each of the 290 constituencies elects an MP to the National Assembly. The National Assembly makes national laws, approves the national budget, and oversees the government and state bodies. MPs also speak for their constituencies in the debate on national issues.

An MP does not run county services such as county hospitals. Those belong to the county government.

Ask candidates: Which national laws or budget decisions would you push for on behalf of our constituency?

Woman Representative

Each of the 47 counties elects a Woman Representative to the National Assembly. She is elected by all voters in the county, and she is a full member of the National Assembly, taking part in making laws and approving the budget. The seat exists to make sure women are represented in Parliament.

Ask candidates: How will you use your position to speak for women and girls in our county?

Member of County Assembly (MCA)

Each of the 1,450 wards elects an MCA to the county assembly. The county assembly makes laws for the county, oversees the county executive (the Governor and his or her team), and approves county plans and the county budget.

MCAs are the closest elected leaders to most voters, so their decisions on the county budget and county laws affect local services directly.

Ask candidates: How will you check that the county government spends our ward's share well?

Nominated members

Some seats are not filled by direct election. Parties nominate members to the National Assembly, the Senate and the county assemblies to represent groups such as youth, women, workers and persons with disabilities. The number each party gets depends on how many seats it wins.

Quick guide: who should I ask about...

This table is a simplification. Some functions are shared, so check the Constitution's Fourth Schedule for the exact division.

Frequently asked questions

Who should I hold responsible if my county hospital has no drugs? Start with the Governor and the county assembly, because county health services are a county function.

Why do we need both a Senator and a Woman Representative for the same county? They do different jobs. The Senator sits in the Senate and represents the county as a whole in matters concerning counties. The Woman Representative sits in the National Assembly, where she takes part in national lawmaking and budgets.

Can a President or Governor serve forever? No. Both offices have term limits under the Constitution.

Last reviewed: 21 September 2026. Spotted a mistake? Email [email protected].