IEBC assures no Kenyan will be locked out of voter registration ahead of 2027 polls

The commission also pledged to ensure transparency ahead of the 2027 General Election, noting that an enabling environment will be created for special interest groups, including youth and persons with disabilities.

In his first public appearance since his appointment as acting Chief Executive Officer, Moses Sunkuli, who appeared before the National Assembly’s Constitution Oversight Implementation Committee (COIC), clarified that the ongoing exercise is focused on registering only those who have never been captured in the voter register since the introduction of the biometric system in 2012.

“What we are doing right now, the exercise that is ongoing is registering people who have never registered before. People who have never registered before know themselves, and if they do not, they can check through our verification portal so that if you are not in our system, you can then register,"Sunkuli noted. 

Sunkuli assured Kenyans that the commission has the capacity to register eligible voters within the set timeframe, urging those who are not yet registered to take advantage of the exercise.

“There is no mystery around what the commission is doing. We are simply asking Kenyans to come out in large numbers and get registered because we have the capacity to register them within the 30-day period we have.”

Members of the committee who engaged the commission during the session, which also included stakeholders such as the Federation of Women Lawyers, Mzalendo Trust, and the Centre for Minority Rights, emphasized the need for stronger inclusion of special interest groups in the electoral process.

“The 2027 electoral process is going to be transparent, where young people will take part in large numbers, and persons with disabilities will participate whether through voting or engagement in the electoral process," Bernard Kitu, COIC Chairperson stated. 

“It is also important to highlight the challenges they have been facing, especially the need to earn the confidence of Kenyans and deliver credible elections," Gitonga Mukunji, Manyatta MP, noted. 

“We are also pushing them to ensure there is sufficient civic education so that people understand the process and are able to push away those who have already started their campaigns," Mary Wamaua, Maragwa MP, highlighted.

The IEBC has in recent days intensified efforts to reach young voters, including university-based registration drives aimed at enrolling more than six million new voters ahead of the 2027 General Election.