NAIROBI, Kenya — The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has announced a major policy shift in how it calculates voter registration targets, moving away from census statistics in favor of actual national identity card and passport records.
The move is designed to enhance the accuracy of the voter register ahead of the 2027 General Election.
In a report presented to the National Assembly’s Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee (CIOC), the electoral body revealed it will now rely on data from the National Registration Bureau (NRB) and the Directorate of Immigration Services (DIS).
The Commission stated that the previous model, which relied on census projections, “has proven inaccurate, unsustainable and not verifiable”.
The strategic pivot involves moving from the Voting Age Population (VAP) framework—derived from census estimates—to a Voter Eligible Population (VEP) model. The Commission explained that census data often skewed targets by including ineligible individuals, such as non-citizens, undocumented residents, and refugees.
By relying strictly on NRB and DIS records, the IEBC aims to target only those Kenyans who legally possess the documents required for registration.
“The commission noted that it is shifting its target-setting framework from VAP to VEP, which focuses on the actual number of citizens who possess the requisite registration documents,” the report states.
Parliamentary oversight, through the CIOC, observed that this refinement aligns better with the legal requirement that a voter must hold a valid Kenyan ID or passport.
“This data-driven targeting approach ensures that resources are deployed efficiently and that performance benchmarks are realistic and attainable,” the report adds.
Despite the stricter methodology, the IEBC remains ambitious. The Commission is targeting the registration of 6.3 million new voters before the next General Election. If successful, this will push the total number of registered voters to 28.4 million, a significant rise from the 22.1 million recorded during the August 2022 polls.
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To achieve these numbers, the IEBC has outlined a multi-pronged approach to ensure accessibility. Registration drives will be conducted via:
- Continuous services at all 290 constituency offices.
- Desks at government Huduma Centres.
- Ward-based registration campaigns.
- Continuous listing at institutions of higher learning.
- Registration services for Kenyans living in the diaspora.
Constituency offices have been equipped with additional kits to handle new registrations, transfers, and updates to voter details.
“Registered voters can update or correct their information, while those who have lost eligibility—through death, conviction, or renunciation of citizenship— can be removed from the register through a formal process,” the commission noted.
The IEBC confirmed that continuous voter registration officially resumed on September 29, inviting eligible Kenyans to visit any constituency office to register or inspect their details. However, the exercise was temporarily excluded in areas that held by-elections on November 27.
