The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has warned that careless political utterances are undermining public trust in elections and fuelling growing voter apathy, particularly among young Kenyans.
Chairperson Erastus Ethekon said repeated claims by some leaders that election outcomes are predetermined have discouraged thousands of potential voters from registering. He said such remarks amount to a deliberate effort to erode faith in democratic institutions.
“When politicians make it sound like results are already fixed, it discourages citizens from believing their votes matter,” Ethekon said. “That kind of talk is reckless and meant to destroy the confidence people have in the electoral system.”
Speaking during a youth sensitisation and training forum in Mombasa organised by Amnesty International and Vocal Africa, Ethekon maintained that Kenya’s voting process is transparent and well protected from manipulation.
He said the commission is ready to partner with youth groups and civil society organisations to restore confidence in the electoral process.
“We must tell the truth about how elections are conducted and stop leaving the narrative to politicians,” he added. “If we don’t, citizens will lose faith in state institutions, which could lead to unrest.”
Ethekon also expressed disappointment over the poor turnout in the ongoing continuous voter registration exercise launched in late September. He revealed that just over 90,000 new voters had been listed countrywide within five weeks, far below the 6.8 million target.
In Mombasa, he said only 3,976 people had registered against a goal of nearly 83,000 by 2027, blaming the low turnout on limited registration centres located mainly in constituency offices. “Many potential voters live far from our offices, making access a real challenge,” he said.
Youth leaders present at the event shared similar concerns, saying unemployment and transport costs have made it difficult for young people to take part in the exercise.
Tom Kazungu from Kisauni said, “Most of us are jobless and cannot afford bus fare to registration points. IEBC should take services closer to where people live.”
Ethekon said after the November 27 by-elections, the commission will start mass voter registration to bring centres closer to neighbourhoods and improve accessibility.
IEBC CEO Hussein Marjan urged the youth to take voting seriously. “You can only change things by participating in elections. If you stay away, you give up your voice,” he said.
Vocal Africa’s Walid Sketty pointed out that insecurity and fear of violence have also discouraged registration in Mombasa. He called on young people to overcome fear and register to vote, describing it as their “chance to shape the future.”
Other speakers cited difficulties in obtaining national ID cards as a major barrier. Activist Asha Mapenzi and youth leader Tracy Masela said many young people feel excluded by a slow registration process.
Vocal Africa’s executive director, Hussein Khalid, added that the problem is worse in the Coast and North Eastern regions, where many still lack IDs. “This has been used to lock out some communities from voting,” he said, urging the IEBC to push for faster ID issuance.
Ethekon assured that the commission will work with the National Registration Bureau to address the issue and intensify voter education. He also confirmed that voter transfers will now be done in person to prevent political interference.
“Voters must appear in person to validate their transfer using biometrics. That’s the only way to stop manipulation,” he said.
