Politics is described as a dirty game, a contest for the thick-skinned or a preserve of the wealthy.
For Ken Nyale, a professional from Kilifi County, politics began as an extension of his passion for community service.
Nyale’s journey began in 2006 when he organised an annual football tournament for young people in Chonyi. He spent more than Sh250,000 of his own money on the tournament every December.
He had no immediate plans to get into politics. That changed in 2014 when members of his community encouraged him to contest for an elective position. He announced his intention to vie for the Kilifi senatorial seat in the 2017 General Election.
With the Orange Democratic Movement enjoying considerable popularity at the Coast, Nyale initially sought its ticket. But he says he was informed that he could not secure the nomination because ODM was already supporting incumbent senator Stewart Madzayo.
By then, Nyale had spent close to Sh2 million from his savings on the campaign. In 2016, he was persuaded to join Jubilee Party.
His fortunes appeared to improve in early 2017. He eventually secured the Jubilee nomination and mounted an ambitious campaign, including the use of helicopters.
But when the results came, he finished second to Madzayo.
Nyale hoped his support for Jubilee would lead to a public appointment. He says he was considered for a directorship at the Kenya Ports Authority, but the appointment did not materialise.
The defeat left him with a loan of more than Sh1 million and three children attending private universities. His employer granted him six months’ paid leave to campaign and took him back after the election.
Returning to work was not what he had hoped for, but it provided an income as he repaid his loans and supported his children.
Despite the financial strain, Nyale returned to politics in 2022, seeking the Kilifi South parliamentary seat.
He had left his job and hoped that running on the United Democratic Alliance ticket would give him access to financial support and political connections.
“I thought I would again meet the President and he would remember me, since he was the presidential aspirant,” he says.
Nyale says UDA officials were unwilling to support his bid because he lacked the financial resources they considered necessary. He later joined Pamoja African Alliance after being persuaded to leave UDA.
He claims he was denied the PAA ticket and eventually ran as an independent.
With limited resources, Nyale relied on one vehicle, borrowed more money and sold properties he had spent years acquiring.
The second defeat deepened the financial pressure on his family.
After resigning before the second campaign, Nyale had to find a way back into employment.
Asked whether he will contest again, Nyale has not ruled it out, this time hoping to secure the UDA ticket.
Dr Geoffrey Mutuma, a medical practitioner from Machakos County, also paid a substantial financial price pursuing elective office.
In 2007, Mutuma left his position as a clinical pathologist at the Kenya Medical Research Institute to contest the Yatta parliamentary seat on a Wiper Democratic Movement ticket. He spent up to Sh15 million from personal savings.
“You have to spend. There is no way you can go into politics when you have no financial muscles,” he says.
In 2013, he contested the same seat on a National Alliance of Kenya ticket after failing to secure space within Wiper.
Mutuma estimates he spent up to Sh20 million on the second campaign.
He sold some properties to finance the campaign but had not taken loans, limiting the financial consequences. After the second defeat, he established his own clinic and has no immediate plans to return to elective politics.
“Maybe 2032,” he says.
His advice to aspiring politicians is to prepare financially for the demands of campaigning and accept that victory is not guaranteed.
The cost of defeat, however, is not only financial.
Counsellor Susan Gitau says losing an election can trigger grief, disappointment and emotional distress, particularly among candidates who invest heavily and tie their hopes to the outcome.
She advises aspirants to prepare psychologically for both victory and defeat, warning that campaign debt can place additional pressure on candidates and their families. She cautions against excessive emotional investment in political competition, particularly where campaigns become dominated by personal attacks and name-calling.
Gitau advises candidates to avoid excessive spending on campaign posters and explore less costly platforms such as social media.
“Let them support you from the backyard because our politics are so personal,” she says.
She recommends that aspirants engage mental health professionals before, during and after campaigns.
The financial demands of electoral politics extend beyond individual candidates. Campaign spending is subject to regulatory limits intended to guide how candidates finance and conduct campaigns.
According to figures cited in the 2026 campaign-financing regulations issued by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, the spending limit for a presidential candidate is approximately Sh6.112 billion. Limits also apply to gubernatorial, senatorial, parliamentary, women representative and ward representative candidates.
The limits vary according to factors including county population and geographical coverage. The figures cited in the source place Nairobi County’s campaign spending limit at Sh181 million and Lamu County’s at Sh28.6 million.
The experiences of Nyale and Mutuma illustrate the financial risks that can accompany a bid for elective office.
Both entered politics with ambitions to serve their communities. Both lost. And both were left to pick up the pieces after the ballots were counted.
Their stories raise a broader question: how many capable people are discouraged from seeking office because they cannot afford to lose?
For Nyale, the desire to serve has survived two defeats and years of financial strain. For Mutuma, the experience pushed him towards private medical practice.
An election may produce winners and losers on polling day. But for those who lose, the bill can continue long after the ballots have been counted.
