IEBC clarifies voter registration rules for pre-2012 voters, assures no need for fresh registration
IEBC clarifies voter registration rules for pre-2012 voters, assures no need for fresh registration
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has clarified that Kenyans who registered as voters before 2012 are not required to register afresh, unless they were not captured in the current biometric register established that year.
The clarification comes amid confusion during the ongoing Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration (ECVR) exercise, which is set to run until April 28, 2026 across the country.
In a statement, the Commission dismissed claims that all pre-2012 voters must re-register.
“Not at all unless they did not register as voters from 2012 when the new Register of Voters was established,” IEBC said.
The electoral body explained that prior to 2012, voter registration was conducted manually, but shifted to a biometric system following the promulgation of the Constitution of Kenya 2010 and the enactment of the Elections Act.
“Before 2012, the Register of Voters was manual. In 2012, it went biometric and all eligible Kenyans were required to enrol and have their biometrics captured. This is the register that has been in place since 2013,” the Commission stated.
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As a result, only those who registered before 2012 and never presented themselves for biometric registration are required to register afresh.
“We have not asked all old voters pre-2012 to register afresh. Just those few who might have missed to register in 2012 and who have never registered under the biometric system to date,” IEBC added.
The Commission noted that the current biometric register has been used in subsequent elections and remains credible.
“As of the 2022 General Election, the Commission maintained an accurate and audited register comprising 22,120,458 voters,” the statement said.
The clarification comes as the IEBC intensifies the nationwide ECVR exercise being conducted across all 1,450 County Assembly Wards, institutions of higher learning, Huduma Centres, constituency offices, and at the Customer Experience Centre at Anniversary Towers.
IEBC Chairperson Erastus Edung Ethekon urged eligible voters to take advantage of the remaining days, noting that the Commission has deployed open registration kits to allow Kenyans to register from any location without having to travel to their home counties.
According to the Commission, as of April 2, 2026, a total of 344,316 new voters had been registered, alongside 18,610 transfers and 329 updates of voter details.
The Commission warned that the exercise will not be extended beyond the April 28 deadline, after which registration will revert to constituency offices. Only 25 days remain.
IEBC is particularly targeting young people, first-time voters, and those who may have missed out on biometric registration since 2012.
The electoral body emphasised that voter registration remains a cornerstone of democratic governance, noting that a credible and up-to-date register is key to ensuring transparency and public confidence ahead of the 2027 General Election.
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