Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has commenced a nationwide voter registration exercise in preparation for the 2027 general election. The campaign, which began on Monday, September 29, aims to enrol 6.3 million new eligible voters, with 70% expected to be youth.
The registration targets citizens aged 18 and above, as well as those seeking to update or transfer their voter details. Applicants are required to present a national identity card or a valid Kenyan passport at IEBC constituency offices. Officials emphasised that the exercise is fundamental to upholding Kenya’s democratic sovereignty, stressing that political power begins with voter registration.
The initiative follows the swearing-in of a new IEBC team in July 2025, after their gazettement by President William Ruto. The fully constituted commission, chaired by Erastus Edung Ethekon, has pledged to deliver its mandate with transparency and adherence to the law.
Other commissioners include Anne Njeri Nderitu, Moses Alutalala Mukhwana, Mary Karen Sorobit, Hassan Noor Hassan, Prof. Francis Odhiambo Aduol, and Fahima Araphat Abdallah. Services under the drive include new registrations, correction of details, constituency transfers, and verification of voter information. Eligibility rules also bar individuals convicted of election offences within the past five years and those declared of unsound mind.