IEBC admits slow voter registration, pledges expanded access after by-elections

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has acknowledged the slow pace of voter registration due to limited access points and other logistical challenges, assuring that more registration centres and clerks will be deployed nationwide after the November 27 by-elections to boost numbers ahead of 2027.

IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon said the current figure of newly registered voters remains below expectations but expressed confidence that mass registration campaigns will accelerate once the by-elections conclude.

By October 31, 2025, the Commission had registered 90,020 new voters in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, a figure far below its target of 6.8 million.

Speaking in Mombasa during a youth engagement forum on voting, Ethekon maintained that the commission is committed to achieving its target despite the challenges.

“There was agitation among the youths asking when we were going to roll out the voter registration. The numbers are still not as encouraging as we envisioned. For example, here in Mombasa, our projections were for us to have 183,000 new registered voters by the next general election, and currently we just have 3,976 voters registered. This is lower than expected,” he said.

The CVR exercise has also recorded 15,619 voter transfers and 188 updates. Nairobi County leads the registration drive with 16,512 new voters and 5,388 transfers, followed by Kiambu with 9,917 new voters and 1,766 transfers. Machakos registered 4,026 new voters and 367 transfers, Mombasa 3,967 new voters and 1,791 transfers, Meru 3,128 new voters and 279 transfers and Murang’a 3,330 new voters and 311 transfers.

In contrast, arid and semi-arid counties, including Tana River, Wajir, Mandera, and Isiolo, recorded minimal transfer activity, with most showing zero or near-zero transfers.

The registration exercise, which resumed on September 29, 2025, excluded the 24 electoral areas preparing for by-elections.

Ethekon emphasised that while voter registration has so far been conducted only at constituency offices, limiting access for many citizens, the Commission aims to establish 30,000 registration points to ensure more Kenyans can exercise their right to vote

He added that after the by-elections, IEBC will deploy registration clerks in around 1,450 wards.

“There are some countries where voting is mandatory; however, here in Kenya, it is not. Therefore, we need as many newly registered voters as possible for this exercise. We are already recruiting clerks, and each Huduma Centre will have two clerks. Our target is to establish 30,000 registration centres,” he said.

IEBC CEO Marjan Hussein Marjan cited delays in issuing identification cards as another factor contributing to the low registration numbers.

“I meet Kenyans with dreams to change their lives and those around them, and exercising their right to vote is one of those dreams. But many do not have identification cards, which means they cannot get passports or even register as voters. It may not be our direct mandate, but this affects our work, and we, therefore, need to find ways to engage those in charge to act,” he said.

The government recently waived fees for ID registration and replacement for six months to facilitate access to the crucial documents.

Human rights activist Hussein Khalid criticised the low voter registration, calling it a reflection of voter apathy.

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“Mombasa’s 3,000 is not enough; we need to do better. Kenyans should know that their one vote can make a change. At the moment, youths alone, who are 56 per cent of the population, could decide the president if they vote as a bloc. We need to register,” Khalid said during a voter sensitisation training organised by Vocal Africa and Amnesty International.

Ethekon also urged young voters not to be coerced into registering in a particular ward or altering their registration details for the political advantage of a few.

He reassured Kenyans that IEBC is prepared for the upcoming by-elections and defended the commission against claims of mismanagement.

“We have reviewed our electoral systems and would like to say it is impossible to rig. They say that there is ballot stuffing just to discourage those who want to vote. We need to avoid this and protect our democracy,” he said.