IEBC explains why pre-2012 voters must register afresh amid public uproar

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has clarified its directive requiring Kenyans who registered as voters before 2012 to register afresh in order to be included in the current voter register.

Speaking to Radio Citizen/Inooro FM via mobile phone, IEBC Commissioner Ann Nderitu explained that the system used before 2012 was manual and did not capture biometric details such as fingerprints and photographs.

“Before 2012, the register was manual. There were no fingerprints taken, no photographs, and no biometric details captured,” she said.

She noted that following the 2010 Constitution, the commission introduced a new biometric voter register, which has been in use since the 2013 General Election and continues to be updated over time.

“We moved to a biometric voter register, where fingerprints and photos are captured, and that is the register we have used since 2013,” added Nderitu.

Nderitu emphasised that individuals who never re-registered under the biometric system are not captured in the current register, which explains why some voters are turned away during elections despite maintaining they are registered.

She added that the ongoing voter registration exercise seeks to address this gap by ensuring all eligible Kenyans are captured under the biometric system.

The commission is now urging affected voters to verify their registration status and present themselves for fresh registration within the ongoing exercise.

Nderitu's clarification follows uproar after the commission directed Kenyans who registered as voters before 2012 to register afresh, saying they are not captured in the current biometric Register of Voters (RoV).