The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has unveiled a 30-day nationwide voter registration drive, aiming to register 2.5 million new voters as part of its broader plan to enroll 6.3 million additional voters ahead of the 2027 General Election.
This period will not be merely an administrative exercise but a foundational step for a poll expected to be shaped by a new, highly engaged youth demographic. The drive focuses on registering eligible new voters and allowing existing voters to transfer their polling stations.
The exercise, known as Phase One of the Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration (ECVR), is scheduled to begin on March 30, 2026, and will be carried out at the ward level across the country.
“The planned EVCR will commence on March 30, 2026 across the country for 30 days. The target is 2.5 million new voter registrations during Phase One of the ECVR exercise,” IEBC stated.
According to IEBC, the Electoral Commission projects at least 6.3 million new voters as number that is expected to hit the IEBC’s target of 28.5 million voters ahead of the next general elections.
“The Commission projects a register of at least 6.3 million new voters to hit its projected target of 28.5 million voters for the 2027 General Election,” IEBC added.
The commission highlighted that the focus on new and young voters is informed by demographic realities, including the large number of citizens who have attained voting age since the last mass registration exercise.
Registration involves collecting both biographic and biometric data in line with Section 2 of the Elections Act, Cap 7.
The IEBC acknowledged the challenge of attracting young voters, many of whom have previously shunned registration exercises.
Through aggressive campaigns and awareness creation, the commission is optimistic that it can meet its target if adequately funded.
Recent data shows that the commission has registered just 216,924 new voters in the past six months through the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, which began in September 2025 at constituency offices.
The commission, in a supplementary budget request to Parliament’s National Assembly Justice and Legal Affairs Committee, asked for Sh100 million to fund a media and public awareness campaign to support the registration drive.
IEBC officials told legislatures that the funding will help cover intensified stakeholder engagement, expanded logistical requirements, and nationwide outreach needed to meet the ambitious target.
Under the Constitution of Kenya (Katiba 2010), the IEBC is tasked with a wide and fundamental mandate. This includes the continuous registration of voters and revision of the voter’s roll, the delimitation of electoral boundaries, the regulation of political party processes, and the facilitation of voter education. Essentially, the Commission bears the solemn constitutional duty of ensuring the integrity, fairness, and transparency of all elections and referenda.
While the Commission seeks to enroll all eligible citizens, the law establishes clear exceptions for both registration and the right to transfer polling stations. A person may be denied registration if they are under 18, declared to be of unsound mind by a competent court, or are not in possession of the requisite national identification documents. Crucially, any person who has been found guilty by an election court of an electoral offence during the preceding five years is barred from either registering or having their polling station transferred.
The electoral exercise takes place against the backdrop of the unprecedented youth-led protests of 2024 and 2025, primarily driven by Gen Z. These protests which focused on anti-tax measures, economic mismanagement, and rampant corruption, signal a fundamental shift from Kenya’s traditional politics of ethnic mobilization to one centered on accountability and policy.This movement has the potential to dramatically reshape the 2027 electoral patterns. The use of digital platforms for mass mobilization has created a politically active generation that bypasses conventional political structures.
The challenge now lies in converting this street power into voting power. If the high voter apathy observed among the youth in previous cycles is overcome, this demographic could become the most influential voting bloc, forcing political aspirants to drop ethnic arithmetic for genuine issue-based platforms.
