Only 1.8 million new voters registered as IEBC ends drive

IEBC closes voter registration exercise with 1.87 million new voters registered ahead of the 2027 elections. [File Courtesy] The country has been waiting with bated breath for the outcome of the voter registration exercise. Politicians, youth, Gen Z groups and clergy have all emphasised the need for Kenyans to register and participate in the 2027 General Election. The numbers so far underscore that urgency. The Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration (ECVR) exercise closes today after running for one month nationwide, except in areas with impending by-elections. Although final figures will be announced after the exercise closes, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) had, as of Friday, registered 1.87 million new voters against a projection of 2.5 million when the exercise began on March 30. IEBC has described the turnout as encouraging, with Vice Chairperson Fahima Abdallah saying the numbers are higher than in previous registration exercises. Politicians are now expected to analyse the figures to determine electoral alignments and regional strategies ahead of the polls. The final tally will be announced by the IEBC Chairperson after the close of the exercise. "Last time in 2022, the target did not even reach 20 to 30 per cent. From 19.6 million to 22 million voters, they needed 28 million and had a target of 8.5 million. This time we are at 90 per cent," she said. She added that the numbers could still rise as Continued Voter Registration (CVR) continues at constituency offices, Huduma Centres and the IEBC customer experience centre at Anniversary Towers in Nairobi. "We have no certainty of another ECVR due to funding constraints, although we had planned for ECVR II. As of last Friday, we had reached 1.87 million and are hopeful of hitting or at least reaching 95 per cent of the target," Abdallah said. She thanked the youth involved in the "Niko Kadi" movement, voter mobilisers, clerks, IEBC staff and stakeholders for civic education efforts across the country. During the exercise, political leaders have actively campaigned for voter registration, though some were accused of politicising the "Niko Kadi" movement. The youth-led campaign has become a national conversation, with leaders also adopting its slogan to encourage registration. President William Ruto said, "We are ready, tuko kadi, and we will be ready when the time comes." Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has also urged young people to register in large numbers, saying they have a responsibility to shape leadership. "I am confident that the people are aware and ready to make informed decisions in the upcoming General Election," Gachagua said at a rally. Voter registration did not take place in electoral areas with scheduled by-elections or ongoing election petitions, including Porro Ward, Endo Ward, Emurua Dikirr Constituency, Ol Kalou Constituency, Malava Constituency and Mbeere North Constituency. IEBC statistics as of April 23 show that 1,876,274 new voters were registered since March 30. Transfers stood at 159,410, while updates or changes of particulars were 2,817. IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon said Kenyans will elect leaders for six elective positions on August 10, stressing that credible elections depend on a comprehensive and accurate voter register. "Article 38 of the Constitution guarantees every citizen political rights, including participation in elections. These rights are given effect through voter registration," he said. He added that the current biometric Register of Voters, introduced in 2012 following constitutional reforms, requires all eligible voters to be registered afresh to be included in the updated system. According to the latest ECVR data, Nairobi leads with 209,965 new registrations, followed by Kiambu with 97,557. In Rift Valley, Nakuru leads with 81,166, followed by Kajiado (44,615), Uasin Gishu (43,745), Kericho (42,315), Narok (37,646), Trans Nzoia (34,565), Bomet (34,472), Baringo (30,118) and Elgeyo Marakwet (22,532). In Mt Kenya, Murang'a recorded 40,679 new voters, Nyeri 38,045, Kirinyaga 29,964 and Nyandarua 16,604. In Western Kenya, Kakamega leads with 80,711, followed by Bungoma (63,203), Busia (30,350) and Vihiga (20,787), totalling over 194,000 registrations. In Nyanza, the region recorded 147,159 new voters, with Homa Bay leading at 39,770, followed by Siaya (33,295), Kisumu (37,090) and Migori (37,004). On the Coast, Kilifi leads with 54,171, followed by Mombasa (41,444), Kwale (24,394), Tana River (17,015) and Lamu (8,345). In North Eastern, Garissa recorded 20,954 new voters, Marsabit 20,335, Wajir 17,930 and Mandera 14,946. The ECVR exercise was conducted in 30,619 gazetted registration centres, including 57 Huduma Centres. Applicants were required to appear in person for biometric capture. Ethekon said the voter register is generated through a multi-stage process to ensure accuracy, credibility and integrity. After verification, personal and biometric data-fingerprints, facial images and iris scans-are captured and transmitted to a central database for processing. The system conducts automated biometric deduplication to detect duplicate or inconsistent entries. Flagged records undergo validation and correction to ensure unique voter profiles remain. The cleaned register is then made available for 30 days of public verification, allowing citizens to confirm details and raise objections where necessary. IEBC said this process promotes transparency and accountability in voter registration. The voter verification portal will display only registration centres, with polling stations to be assigned later during elections. The final Register of Voters will undergo an independent audit to assess accuracy, completeness and integrity before being certified and gazetted by the Commission. Once gazetted, the Certified Register becomes the official legal document for use in elections.

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