The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has moved to clarify confusion surrounding voter registration requirements, stating that Kenyans who registered before 2012 are not required to register afresh unless they were not captured under the current biometric system.
In a clarification issued on Saturday, the electoral body emphasised that only a specific group of voters—those who missed the biometric registration introduced in 2012—need to enrol again.
“Not at all unless they did not register as voters from 2012 when the new Register of Voters was established,” the Commission said, seeking to reassure the public amid growing concern over the matter.
The IEBC explained that the shift to a biometric voter registration system in 2012 marked a fundamental overhaul of Kenya’s electoral database, replacing the manual register that had been in use prior to the promulgation of the Constitution of Kenya 2010 and the subsequent electoral boundary delimitation.
“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,” the statement said.
According to the Commission, the biometric register established during that period remains the official voters’ roll in use today, having been applied in successive elections since 2013.
The IEBC noted that the register has undergone audits and updates over time to ensure its accuracy and integrity.
“As of the 2022 General Election, the Commission maintained an accurate and audited register comprising 22,120,458 voters,” it said.
The clarification comes amid reports of confusion among some members of the public, particularly long-time voters who registered before 2012 and were uncertain whether they needed to undergo a fresh registration exercise.
The IEBC was categorical that it has not issued any directive requiring all pre-2012 voters to register again.
Instead, the focus remains on individuals who may have missed the biometric enrolment process and have not registered under the system to date.
“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, subsequently, have never registered under the biometric system,” the Commission clarified.
The electoral body further sought to calm public anxiety, urging Kenyans not to panic and to rely on official communication channels for accurate information.
“No panic. Hapa kazi tu!” the statement added.
The clarification is part of the Commission’s ongoing efforts to streamline voter registration processes and ensure that all eligible citizens are captured in the national voters’ roll ahead of future electoral activities.
Election observers note that the integrity of the voter register remains a critical pillar in Kenya’s democratic process, with accurate biometric data playing a key role in enhancing transparency and reducing the risk of electoral malpractice.
