Government to introduce a special secret ballot mechanism in 2027 election
The government will introduce a a special secret ballot mechanism that will enable Kenyans with visual impairments to fully participate in future elections unassisted.
The government will introduce a a special secret ballot mechanism that will enable Kenyans with visual impairments to fully participate in future elections unassisted.
The new system, which government spokesman Isaac Mwaura has called a special secret ballot mechanism, will be necessary to increase participation by Kenyans in the elections and enhance credibility, as the visually impaired will vote without the possibility of interference.
At the moment, Kenyans with visual challenges have to be assisted to cast their votes by Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission officials manning polling stations, who have been trained to help them.
In a statement in his official X account on Wednesday, June 11, Mwaura said: “The new system will mean that visually impaired people will be able to cast their votes without assistance from another person as has been the case.”
In the previous general election, people with visual impairments were assisted by trained IEBC personnel who took an oath of secrecy before the exercise.
According to Mwaura, the move will be critical in making the elections more inclusive and fair to people living with visual problems.
“To promote electoral inclusivity, secret ballot mechanisms for the visually impaired are being introduced to ensure their full participation in elections,” Mwaura said.
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Mwaura has further stressed that the government will be at the forefront of championing the elimination of barriers faced by people with disabilities in society in line with the National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) Act 2025, which was assented to by President William Ruto on Thursday, May 8.
The president asserted that the new law will be fundamental in ensuring that people living with disabilities have access to quality education, employment, healthcare, political participation, and access to infrastructure in the country.
The bill was sponsored by Senator Crystal Asige and cosponsored by the National Assembly Majority Leader, Kimani Ichung’wah.
The bill was first passed by the Senate on February 1, 2025, and then approved by the National Assembly on March 16, 2025.
“The real work now begins. Its full promise cannot be realised by the National Council or the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection alone. It requires collective action by all stakeholders,” The President said after assenting to the bill.
“The Bill affirms the rights of persons with disabilities to education, healthcare, and political participation,” he added.
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