IEBC resumes voter registration as political heavyweights eye 2027 General Election

The enlisting of new voters beginning Monday marks a step that will shape how Kenyans will choose their leaders in the next general election, even as top political players train their eyes on the exercise with a desire to have influence.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is resuming the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise as part of its preparations for the 2027 General Election.

Presidential contenders and hopefuls for various seats are interested in how the exercise will be undertaken. In a public notice, the commission urged all eligible Kenyans to register at any IEBC constituency office, except in areas currently undergoing by-elections.

“The commission encourages all unregistered citizens to take advantage of the ongoing exercise and register early,” the IEBC stated.

Former Chief Justice David Maraga, who is seeking to oust President William Ruto, expressed his intention to actively take part in the exercise by monitoring how it goes on in various centres.

“The big day is finally here! Together with a section of our youth, I will be visiting registration centres in Nairobi County as we advocate for voter registration. I urge you, especially young and new voters, to come out in large numbers to register,” said Maraga.

The services available during the CVR exercise include new voter registration, correction or update of voter details, transfer of registration to a new polling station or constituency and verification of voter information.

To qualify for registration, one must be a Kenyan citizen aged 18 years and above, possess a valid Kenyan National ID or valid passport, not previously registered as a voter, not convicted of an election offence in the past five years and not declared to be of unsound mind.

IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon has previously said the registration drive aims to expand Kenya’s voter base from the current 22.1 million to include an estimated 6.3 million new voters.

“Our projection is not based on census data, as was the case in past cycles, but on records from the National Registration Bureau,” Ethekon said.

“We anticipate registering all Kenyans who will have attained voting age by the time of the exercise.”

The commission has allocated Sh8 billion—part of its total Sh57.3 billion election budget—to support the voter registration exercise. Additional allocations include Sh2.5 billion for stakeholder engagement and voter education, Sh7 billion for replacing ageing KIEMS kits (Kenya Integrated Elections Management System) and Sh2.4 billion for system maintenance.

Many view the youth—particularly Generation Z—as a critical demographic that could shape the outcome of the 2027 election.

Opposition leaders have called on young Kenyans to seize the moment and register in large numbers.

Lawyer Willis Otieno, a constitutional and administrative law expert, told The Eastleigh Voice that politicians are keen on the exercise because they have lost control of the political narrative in the country, and they are not able to tell the way the emerging new voters will choose leaders.

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“This was occasioned by the new wave of young Kenyans who are championing people's issues and not tribe. The forte of legacy politicians has been tribal based politics, which is now under challenge. The people are demanding issue-based leadership,” explained Otieno.

He explained further that young people will be the determinant of the elections because the youth vote accounts for 65 per cent of registered voters and cannot be ignored.

Political commentator Samuel Owida said that leaders who have been keen on preserving the status quo could be worried that a new set of voters is emerging, and are likely to kick them out of power.

“Yes, there’s a new voter in town. There are young people who are tired of stories of what should be done instead of having it done now. Politicians who have dominated the scene for long are apprehensive that their dominance will be disrupted,” said Owida.

Political analyst and international relations expert Prof. Macharia Munene argues that top politicians are hedging their bets.

“Raila lost in 2022 mainly because his "base" let him down. Roughly 300,000 did not register, and roughly 700,000 failed to vote even as they celebrated his supposed 'victory' that relied on a belief that they had won because they had the system. He also failed to observe the basics of elections, having agents everywhere to safeguard the vote. He narrowly lost with barely 200,000 votes,” argues Munene.

According to him, all candidates want to avoid such blunders to ensure that they get a commanding victory in the contest.

The United Opposition on Sunday urged Kenyans to register as voters in a bid to unseat President William Ruto in the 2027 General Election.

During a church service in Kajiado County, the faction said that the only way to oust President Ruto is through the ballot, and more registered voters will help the opposition triumph.

Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua urged the youth and the Kenyan middle-class to participate in the upcoming registration exercise to help tilt the election outcome in 2027.

"The exit of Kasongo (Ruto) will be done at the ballot box. Youth is the hope we have to save this country. The real transformation of our country will be done by the Gen Zs you have done well so far," Gachagua noted.