Register as voters for participation in elections, Matiangi tells youth
Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr Fred Matiang’i Sunday decried the low number of Kenyans turning up for the ongoing voter registration exercise.
Speaking during a mentorship session of youth at Lavington SDA church, Dr Matiangi urged Kenyans to ensure they register on time to have a chance of voting in the 2027 General Election.
He particularly called on the youth who have been keen on changing the leadership of the country to register.
“I ask the youth to register and complete what you started last year in 2027,” Dr Matiangi said, referring to the youth protests over the controversial Finance Bill in 2024.
He was speaking during the Adventist Men Organization (AMO) Prayer Breakfast at the Lavington SDA Church, held under the theme “Show Yourself a Man – For God and Country.”
The prayer breakfast brings together men of faith for reflection, mentorship, and fellowship – a moment to renew commitment to values that strengthen both family and nation. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) recorded only 7,048 new voter registrations and 259 voter transfers in the past four days in the ongoing voter registration drive.
IEBC, which relaunched the voter exercise on September 29, 2025, has targeted 6.3 million new voters during the registration drive.
IEBC chairperson Erastus Ethekon explained that the figures indicated progressive growth in the exercise as the Commission seeks to rally more Kenyans into the exercise.
Nairobi County recorded the highest number of new voters with 1,597 followed by Mombasa (556), Kiambu (386), and Kisii (312).
“IEBC reaffirms its unwavering commitment to ensuring that voter registration services remain accessible, inclusive, transparent, and efficient in all parts of the country save for the areas scheduled for the November 27, 2025 By-elections,” the statement read in part.
“The Commission further underscores its constitutional duty to guarantee that every eligible Kenyan has a fair and equal opportunity to register as a voter and to exercise their democratic right to participate in free, fair, and credible elections.”
IEBC introduced iris scans feature to complement the existing biometric identifiers comprising fingerprints and facial photographs.
The move, Ethekon said, is aimed at enhancing the accuracy and reliability of voter identification during elections.
“The iris provides an alternative means of voter identification should fingerprint recognition fail. Its inclusion is expressly permissible under the Elections Act, and reinforces our commitment to credible, inclusive, and transparent elections.”
The use of iris biometrics aligns with the law, which allows for various biometric identifiers, including hand and earlobe geometry, retina and iris patterns, voice waves, DNA, and signatures.
Ethekon emphasized that all voter data, including the newly captured iris information, will be handled in strict compliance with the Data Protection Act, 2019.
Access to voter information will be limited to authorized personnel, and any breach or misuse of data will attract legal sanctions.