Kenya’s electoral body has closed its 30-day mass voter registration exercise on a stronger-than-expected note, with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, IEBC, on course to hit nearly 80 per cent of its lofty target of enlisting 2.5 million new voters.

The Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration exercise, which began on March 30 and ended on April 28, 2026, was rolled out across all 1,450 county assembly wards, institutions of higher learning, Huduma Centres, IEBC constituency offices and the commission’s Customer Experience Centre at Anniversary Towers in Nairobi.

IEBC said the exercise was guided by the theme “Deepening Democracy in Kenya Through Inclusive Voter Registration.”

According to the latest figures released by the commission, IEBC had registered 1,876,274 new voters by April 23, representing 75 per cent of the 2.5 million target.

The figure was recorded with four days still remaining to the close of the exercise, placing the commission within reach of the two million mark, and long queues were seen on the final two day of the mass voter listing exercise on Monday and Tuesday.

The commission also reported 159,410 voter transfers and 2,817 changes or updates of voter particulars during the same period, signaling not only new registrations but also increased activity among already registered voters seeking to align their voting details ahead of the 2027 General Election.

The latest performance marks a significant improvement compared with IEBC’s last major mass voter registration exercise ahead of the 2022 General Election. In the first phase of the 2021 Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration campaign, IEBC registered 1,519,294 new voters against a target of six million, representing only 25.3 per cent of the target.

This time, the commission appears to have benefited from a late surge, particularly among young people and urban voters, buoyed by the popular “Niko Kadi” campaign by the youth.

IEBC said 505,344 new voters were registered between April 17 and April 23 alone, a sharp increase that pushed the overall tally beyond 1.8 million in the final stretch.

Nairobi led in new registrations with 209,965 voters, followed by Kiambu with 97,557 and Nakuru with 81,166. Kakamega and Bungoma also posted strong numbers, while Lamu recorded the lowest turnout at 8,345.

IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon had framed the exercise as a key democratic milestone, especially for young Kenyans who had been locked out of voter registration following the long suspension after the 2022 polls.

“We hear the voices of young Kenyans. The IEBC has been laying the groundwork for the resumption of voter registration to ensure no voices are left out,” Ethekon said in an earlier statement.

He also defended the importance of a credible voter register, saying, “The credibility of any elections depends heavily on the accuracy and integrity of the voter register. A clean and inclusive register is not merely administrative, it’s a foundation of free, fair and transparent elections.”

As the exercise entered its final days, IEBC Commissioner Hassan Noor Hassan ruled out an extension and urged eligible Kenyans to take advantage of the remaining window.

“We must intensify our efforts in these final days. There will be no extension, and every eligible voter must take personal responsibility to ensure they are registered,” Hassan said.

Vice Chairperson Fahima Araphat Abdallah also rallied citizens to register, stressing that elections are a continuous process that begins with registration. She further reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to inclusivity and transparency, saying no eligible voter would be left behind, including youth, women, persons with disabilities and inmates.

While IEBC did not fully meet its 2.5 million target by the last published update, the numbers suggest a markedly more successful drive than the previous mass registration effort.

With continuous registration expected to resume at constituency offices, Huduma Centres and Anniversary Towers, the commission will now shift focus to cleaning, auditing and certifying the voter register ahead of the 2027 polls.

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