The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has urged eligible Kenyans to register early and take advantage of ongoing continuous voter registration, cautioning against waiting until the last minute.
Speaking during an interview on Spice FM, IEBC Commissioner Ann Nderitu emphasized the importance of early registration to ensure all citizens can participate fully in shaping the country’s democracy.
“The continuous voter registration is open throughout the year, except during by-elections or general elections when the register is temporarily closed,” Nderitu explained.
She added that the commission is preparing to roll out a mass voter registration drive after the ongoing by-elections, which will bring registration services closer to communities, including markets, schools, and polling stations.
“We will meet you where you are, at your shop, in your market, at institutions of learning. We will come to the polling station you prefer,” she said.
Nderitu encouraged Kenyans to take advantage of the services already available at constituency offices before the mass registration begins, noting that these periodic drives are limited in duration, usually lasting only one to two months and depending on available funds.
“Even now, services are available at our offices across the country. Kenyans should come out and register before the mass registration starts,” she said.
Addressing the low turnout in current registration efforts, Nderitu revealed that only 100,000 people had registered in the first three months of the drive,far short of the six million eligible.
She blamed a “culture of last-minute registration,” explaining that many citizens delay registration until the deadline nears, often resulting in long queues and frustration.
“Kenyans have this habit of waiting until the last minute. They see the registration centers and think, ‘There is still time, I’ll come later,’” Nderitu said.
According to the IEBC,a total of 90,020 new voters had registered as of October 31, 2025 since the continuous voter registration (CVR) exercise resumed on September 29, 2025.15,619 voters have transferred their registration to new polling stations, while a total of 188 updates or corrections were made to existing voter details.
Nairobi and Kiambu counties accounted for over 29% of all new registrations, making them the top-performing counties. Nairobi County recorded 16,512 new registrations with 5,388 transfers, while Kiambu registered 9,917 new voters with 1,766 transfers.
Other leading counties include Machakos (4,026 new registrations, 367 transfers), Mombasa (3,967 new registrations, 1,791 transfers), Nakuru (3,265), Meru (3,128), Kakamega (2,681), Kisii (2,366), Bungoma (2,351), and Kisumu (2,287).
Counties with the lowest numbers of new registrations included Tana River (130), Marsabit (284), and Isiolo (312), reflecting limited voter turnout in these areas.
The commissioner also highlighted logistical challenges in remote and vast constituencies, particularly in North Eastern counties and pastoralist areas, where long distances and travel costs make registration difficult. To address this, IEBC plans to take voter registration services directly to these communities during the enhanced registration drive.
Collaboration with the Kenya National Registration Bureau is also key, Nderitu said, to ensure that as many citizens as possible have valid ID cards, which are required for voter registration.
“The call is for every Kenyan who is not yet registered to take a few minutes to register. Voting is your chance to make choices about your country and participate in building its democracy,” she said.
