IEBC raises concern over low youth turnout in voter registration, by-elections

The concerns surfaced during a post–by-election conference on Tuesday, where youth representatives and IEBC commissioners openly clashed over responsibility for declining youth engagement.

Despite being a dominant force in the 2022 voter register, many young voters were notably absent during the November 27 by-elections.

IEBC Vice Chairperson Fahima Araphat faulted the youth for staying away from the polls, while Commissioner Prof. Francis Aduol described their turnout as “pathetic,” noting that most voters who showed up were elderly, particularly women.

The stakeholder forum quickly escalated into a heated exchange, highlighting a widening disconnect between the commission and young voters.

Youth advocates criticized the IEBC for failing to communicate effectively with younger demographics. Tabitha Oluoch of Siasa Place challenged the commission to modernize its outreach strategies, pointing out that the IEBC has just 1,000 followers on TikTok and produces “rigid” content that does not resonate with youth.

Commissioners defended the institution, arguing that the responsibility to drive youth engagement should be shared.

Prof. Aduol questioned the expectation that older commissioners should lead on youth-centric platforms, noting that Kenyans over 60 represent only 5 percent of the population.

His remarks were met with pushback from youth representatives, including Fidel Ongoya, who urged the commission’s leadership to take the concerns seriously, saying, “This is our future.”

IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon sought to calm tensions, assuring participants that the commission will intensify efforts to register more young voters during the mass voter registration exercise planned ahead of the 2027 General Election.

According to IEBC data, since the continuous voter registration drive began on September 29, the commission had registered only 148,315 new voters by December 5—an average of about 2,000 registrations per day nationwide.

During the same period, 40,772 voters transferred their polling stations, while 493 updated their personal details.

The IEBC aims to register an additional 6 million voters by 2027, a target heavily reliant on increased youth participation, given that people under 35 make up about 70 percent of the potential voter population.