IEBC drops census data, adopts ID and passport records for voter registration targets

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) will no longer rely on census data to determine voter registration targets, shifting instead to national identity card and passport records in a move aimed at improving accuracy ahead of the 2027 General Election.

In a report submitted to the National Assembly’s Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee (CIOC), the commission said it has adopted data from the National Registration Bureau (NRB) and the Directorate of Immigration Services (DIS) to guide its voter registration planning, abandoning a census-based model it says has failed to deliver reliable results.

According to the IEBC, the earlier approach to setting targets using census figures “has proven inaccurate, unsustainable and not verifiable”.

Despite the change in methodology, the commission maintained that it is still targeting the registration of 6.3 million new voters before the 2027 General Election. If achieved, the target would raise the number of registered voters to 28.4 million, up from the 22.1 million voters registered during the August 9, 2022, General Election.

The 6.3 million figure was initially set using voting age population (VAP) data drawn from census records, a model the commission is now abandoning in favour of a voter eligible population (VEP) framework that relies directly on NRB and DIS data.

“The commission noted that it is shifting its target-setting framework from VAP to VEP, which focuses on the actual number of citizens who possess the requisite registration documents,” reads the CIOC report.

Under the law, eligibility for voter registration requires possession of a national identity card or a valid Kenyan passport. The committee noted that the VEP model limits registration targets to citizens who already hold these documents.

“This data-driven targeting approach ensures that resources are deployed efficiently and that performance benchmarks are realistic and attainable,” reads the report.

The IEBC explained that census data includes individuals who are not eligible to register as voters, such as non-citizens, undocumented citizens and refugees, a factor that has previously resulted in inflated and unrealistic registration targets.

On voter registration modalities, the commission said it plans to adopt several strategies to ensure no eligible Kenyan is disenfranchised. These include continuous voter registration at all 290 IEBC constituency offices, the use of Huduma Centres as registration points, ward-based registration drives, continuous registration in institutions of higher learning, and the listing of Kenyans living abroad.

IEBC constituency offices will also continue serving as service points for first-time voter registration and for updating voter particulars following the issuance of national identity cards or passports.

“Registered voters can update or correct their information, while those who have lost eligibility—through death, conviction, or renunciation of citizenship— can be removed from the register through a formal process,” the commission said.

Each of the 290 constituency offices has been allocated additional kits to support voter registration, voter transfers and changes of preferred voting centres.

The commission further noted that continuous voter registration resumed on September 29, allowing eligible Kenyans to register, transfer their registration, correct their details or inspect their records at any constituency office nationwide. However, areas where by-elections were held on November 27 were excluded from the exercise.

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