IEBC restores voter verification portal after outage sparks 2027 election fears
The outage had affected both the IEBC web portal and the SMS verification platform, raising anxiety as the country edges closer to the 2027 General Election.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has restored its voter verification portal following mounting public pressure and widespread frustration over an unexplained blackout that left millions unable to access their registration details.
The outage had affected both the IEBC web portal and the SMS verification platform, raising anxiety as the country edges closer to the 2027 General Election.
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In a notice on Tuesday, the commission confirmed the portal is now fully operational after a system maintenance exercise aimed at upgrading its infrastructure to enhance performance and data security.
“We wish to assure all Kenyans that the registration details of the 22,120,458 registered voters, as recorded during the 2022 General Election, remain intact and secure,” the IEBC said.
The statement came after days of uncertainty in which voters were unable to confirm their details via the official website or through the SMS platform, which requires users to send their ID or passport number and year of birth to 70000.
Both channels remained inaccessible during the maintenance window, sparking criticism over the commission’s communication and operational transparency.
Although the IEBC later explained that the system upgrade was necessary to improve service delivery, the failure to provide a clear timeline or specifics about the nature of the updates only deepened public unease.
Its earlier communication had simply read: “We will promptly communicate once the system is fully operational and ready for verification of voter details,” offering no detail on when the portal went offline, how long it would be unavailable, or what was being worked on.
The lack of clarity sparked fresh scrutiny, especially in a country with a history of disputed elections and growing calls for electoral integrity.
While the commission’s confirmation that the portal is now back online brought some relief, civil society groups and observers have urged the IEBC to prioritise transparency and improve its crisis communication protocols when dealing with essential public systems.
The voter verification platform plays a central role in ensuring the accuracy of the electoral roll and empowering Kenyans to participate in democratic processes.
IEBC plans to register about 6.3 million new voters in addition to the 22.1 million ahead of the 2027 polls.
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