NAIROBI, Kenya — The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has announced plans to roll out a digital voter pre-registration platform aimed at simplifying voter enrolment, particularly for young Kenyans, as preparations for the 2027 General Election gather pace.
Speaking during a prayer breakfast meeting on Wednesday, IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon said the platform will allow eligible voters to submit their personal details online before visiting a registration centre solely for biometric capture.
“We are introducing a digital platform where you have a link, a pre-registration form. You can fill all your details, and all you need to do is walk into the nearest Huduma or registration centre and give your fingerprints,” Ethekon said.
The initiative, he noted, is part of the Commission’s broader roadmap towards the 2027 polls, with voter registration identified as a priority to expand electoral participation.
IEBC is targeting the registration of 6.3 million new voters.
These include Kenyans who will have attained the age of 18 by the next election and those who are currently eligible but unregistered.
The Commission also plans to facilitate voters seeking to transfer their registration details to new polling stations.
Ethekon said the first phase of continuous voter registration has recorded about 200,000 new voters, a figure he acknowledged was below expectations but not discouraging.
“We are not worried because of the low numbers. Continuous voter registration is based at the constituency level,” he said.
He added that IEBC plans to roll out a nationwide mass voter registration drive in March, with registration centres established at the village level to boost access.
“Our plan is to roll out a mass voter registration in March, and through that we will set up registration centres in every village,” Ethekon said.
The IEBC chairperson reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to electoral integrity, saying the goal is to produce a voter register that accurately reflects the country’s eligible voting population.
He called on religious leaders, the media, and other stakeholders to support civic education and mobilisation efforts.
“I urge the clergy, the media, and stakeholders to help us make 2027 the best election in the history of Kenya,” he said.
However, Ethekon warned that financial and legal constraints could undermine the Commission’s ambitions.
He cited budgetary pressures as a major challenge, saying funding shortfalls limit IEBC’s ability to reach young voters, vulnerable populations, and communities without reliable access to digital platforms.
“Without these budgets, we will be incapacitated to reach out to these young people, vulnerable persons, and places without digital media,” he said.
He also pointed to unresolved legal reforms, including the two-thirds gender rule, urging political leaders to encourage more women to seek elective office.
In November last year, Ethekon disclosed that IEBC had requested Sh61.7 billion from Parliament to conduct the elections, but the allocation was reduced to Sh57.3 billion.
He warned then that the reduction could force the Commission to scale down staffing at polling stations and the national tallying centre, potentially affecting the efficiency of the electoral process.
IEBC currently has 22.1 million registered voters and projects that the number will rise to 28.4 million by the time Kenyans go to the polls in 2027.
