IEBC adds 2.6 million new voters in mass registration drive
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) announced that more than 2.6 million new voters were added to the national register following the recently concluded voter registration exercise.
Speaking after the exercise closed on April 28, 2026, IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethokon described the outcome as a significant milestone.
“Since the resumption of the enhanced voter registration exercise up to the time we closed, we wish to report that IEBC has since then enlisted a total of 2,612,725 new voters. To us, this is a major milestone, and we want to thank every Kenyan who has supported this exercise,” Ethokon said.
According to the commission, 267,249 voters were registered through continuous voter registration at constituency offices between September 29, 2025 and the end of the exercise.
The bulk of the registrations, however, came during the 30-day nationwide campaign, which added 2,345,476 new voters.
Ethokon elaborated on the figures, saying: “This comprises 267,249 new voters whom we registered under continuous voter registration at constituency offices. Under the mass voter registration exercise, we registered 2,345,476 new voters over the last 30 days.”
Despite the strong turnout, the IEBC noted that the process faced challenges in some areas due to security concerns.
“Security concerns, though localised, also affected operations in certain areas,” Ethokon said.
“Incidences of threats and attacks on registration personnel necessitated enhanced coordination with security agencies.”
He said the Commission deployed 5,390 KIEMS kits across 290 constituencies, 1,450 wards and 57 Huduma Centres, while also partnering with universities, colleges and Anniversary Towers to expand access to voter registration.
The IEBC boss noted that the 2026 Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration (ECVR) exercise performed better than previous mass registration drives.
He attributed the improvement to deliberate strategic and operational changes, including the introduction of an open kit system, which allowed eligible voters to register at any centre of their choice, regardless of their home constituency or current place of residence.
He attributed the improved performance to deliberate strategic and operational changes, including the adoption of the open kit strategy, which allowed eligible voters to register at any convenient centre regardless of their place of origin or residence.
“The trajectory enabled us to record on a weekly basis over 500,000 new registrations. By comparison, in 2016 Phase One, they managed to capture around 1.4 million voters against a target of 4 million within 30 days,” he said.
“This effectively eliminated geographical restrictions that historically have constrained participation of citizens in registration exercises,” he said.
Other factors cited include data-driven planning, real-time performance monitoring and enhanced stakeholder engagement involving political actors and youth-led organisations.
Ethekon added that the Commission is now embarking on the process of cleaning up the voter register as it prepares for the next phase of electoral planning.