Joel Mwita vows to boost youth voter registration, rebuild trust in IEBC

Speaking during his interview with the IEBC selection panel chaired by Nelson Makanda on Friday, Mwita emphasized the need for constant and open engagement with stakeholders to rebuild public confidence in the commission.

“If I get an opportunity to serve as commissioner, I will remove the commission from the Anniversary Tower to the people,” Mwita told the panel.

Passionate about involving young people in the democratic process, Mwita outlined plans to develop youth-specific messaging, programs, and policies to encourage voter registration and active participation in elections.

“I will ensure there is a constant engagement with the people, especially the youth population, who are the target group,” he said.

At 32 years old, Mwita brings over a decade of experience in election management, governance, and financial oversight.

He is also a certified mediator with a background in peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and research, having served in various senior and mid-level roles across both government and non-governmental organizations.

“This is supported by my diligent service as a youth specialist who is dynamic, innovative and self-motivated, with strong negotiation and interpersonal skills,” Mwita noted.

Currently, he serves as the Director of Liaison Services and Head of the Nairobi office for the Turkana County Government. During his appearance — the last candidate to face the panel — Mwita underscored the need to simplify voter registration and voting processes for greater public understanding.

“As IEBC, we will ensure the process of voter registration is guaranteed and is continuous by actually reaching out to this target population — those who have not registered — and ensure the process is easy and understood by them,” he said.

Mwita stressed the importance of providing young people with the right information to help them appreciate the value of participating in elections.

“This population needs to be really engaged. They need to be fed with relevant information, which is very critical for them to understand why they should participate in this important democratic exercise,” he added.

To further support voter registration efforts, Mwita proposed close collaboration between the commission and the National Registration Bureau to ensure that youths who reach the age of 18 quickly acquire national identity cards and are seamlessly enrolled as voters.