NAIROBI, Kenya – Kenyan students will soon walk out of high school not just with exam results—but also with national identity cards and voter registration certificates in hand.
This follows a new proposal approved by Parliament’s Budget and Appropriations Committee, which seeks to make the issuance of IDs and voter registration automatic for every student who turns 18 while still in school.
The Registration of Persons (Amendment) Bill, 2024, sponsored by Kipipiri MP Wanjiku Muhia, aims to cut the high cost of voter registration and end the long-standing problem of low youth turnout at the polls.
“Ensuring that students receive their national ID cards while still in school empowers them with legal recognition and opens access to key government services,” Muhia said. “It also allows them to participate in national processes such as voting.”
A Step Toward Automatic Voter Registration
Under the proposed law, schools will be required to register students within 30 days of their 18th birthday. Once a student is issued an ID, they will also be automatically enrolled as a voter.
The idea has gained strong support across Parliament. Baringo Woman Representative Florence Jematiah urged that the two processes—ID issuance and voter registration—be synchronised to save money and improve efficiency.
“Why not link the two? This will help the IEBC cut costs and ensure that every eligible student becomes a voter before leaving school,” Jematiah said.
Committee chair Samuel Atandi confirmed that the Bill has cleared the key budgetary test and will now move to the House for debate.
“The Bill has passed the criterion for a money Bill. It will now proceed through the normal parliamentary stages,” Atandi said.
How It Will Work
According to the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO), implementing the law will cost about Sh451.5 million in the first year, rising to nearly Sh498 million by the third year.
The plan envisions officers from the National Registration Bureau (NRB) visiting all 10,752 secondary schools monthly to register students who have turned 18.
Each school will host two officers, each receiving a Sh3,000 stipend for travel and lunch allowances.
Currently, county registration bureaus receive only Sh100,000 per quarter to facilitate ID registration, leaving many areas underfunded.
“Registration officers already visit schools, but they work under strained resources,” Muhia said. “This Bill will make the process more structured and sustainable.”
Boost for IEBC’s Struggling Drive
The proposal lands as the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) struggles to attract new voters in its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise launched on September 29.
Data from the IEBC shows Nairobi County leading with 1,597 new registrations, followed by Mombasa, Kiambu, and Kisii.
But many rural counties have recorded fewer than 100 new voters in the first week—Lamu (1), Nyamira (10), and Tana River (21) among them.
IEBC Chairperson Edung Ethekon has called on Kenyans to take advantage of the ongoing exercise.
“Every eligible Kenyan should have a fair and equal opportunity to register and exercise their democratic right,” he said. “Our process is transparent, open, and efficient.”
If enacted, the Bill could transform how Kenya builds its voter roll—ensuring that every young adult enters adulthood already counted, documented, and ready to vote.
