MUGA: What IEBC must do to reverse low youth voter listing

Kenya’s ongoing voter registration exercise is failing to capture the energy and numbers of its youthful population. This is not a minor administrative shortfall; it is a democratic emergency.

If the trend continues, the country will head into the 2027 general election with an entire generation largely absent from the voters’ register, undermining the legitimacy of the process and the future of governance.

Article 1 vests sovereign power in the people of Kenya. Article 2 provides that this power shall be exercised directly or through democratically elected representatives.

Article 10 demands public participation as a national value and principle of governance. Article 38 explicitly guarantees every adult citizen the right, without unreasonable restrictions, to be registered as a voter, to vote by secret ballot and to seek elective office.

Finally, Article 88(4) places a clear duty on the IEBC to conduct continuous voter registration and carry out voter education. These provisions are not aspirational; they are binding obligations.

When the commission launched the Continuous Voter Registration exercise in September last year, it set an ambitious target of 6.8 million new voters. By the latest count, only 201,122 new voters had been registered, alongside 67,438 transfers and a mere 828 changes of particulars.

As the mass voter registration exercise prepares to roll out in March with a revised target of 6.3 million, the IEBC cannot afford to repeat the same mistakes.

From direct engagements with young people and analysis of participation trends in 2013, 2017 and 2022, six persistent barriers stand out. The electoral agency must confront them head-on.

Large sections of the youth have lost faith in the IEBC due to perceived irregularities and a lack of transparency in past elections.

Action: The commission must demonstrate, through verifiable and transparent processes, supported by real-time public reporting, that every stage of the electoral cycle is free, fair, credible and tamper-proof. Confidence is not restored by rhetoric; it is earned through conduct.

Many young Kenyans still do not understand when, where or how to register, or why it matters.
Action: The IEBC must treat voter education as a core, year-round function under Article 88(4)(g). It should partner with civil society organisations, media houses, influencers, universities and county governments to run sustained and creative campaigns that speak the language of the youth—digital, visual and localised.

The widespread belief that electoral outcomes are predetermined undermines motivation at the grassroots.

Action: The IEBC must consistently communicate how results are tallied, transmitted and verified. It should publish disaggregated data promptly and invite independent audits. Every vote must not only count; it must be seen to count.

Many centres remain too far for youth in rural areas, informal settlements and regions with poor transport.

Action: Decentralise the March 2026 MVR to ward and village levels. Deploy mobile registration teams and utilise Huduma Centres, churches, mosques, markets and youth hubs. Distance should never be a barrier.

Current centres operate only Monday to Friday during working hours, effectively locking out employed youth and full-time students.

Action: Extend operating hours to include evenings and full Saturdays throughout the registration period. Introduce evening and weekend pop-up centres near workplaces and campuses.

No ID or passport means no voter registration. Thousands of 18-year-olds remain stuck in the backlog at the Department of National Registration.

Action: The IEBC must formally partner with the Ministry of Interior to fast-track ID issuance for all eligible citizens. A joint taskforce with clear timelines and performance targets is essential.

The electoral commission cannot reach 6.3 million new registrants—let alone build a vibrant democracy—by merely urging youth to “come and register”. It must remove every structural and perceptual obstacle in their way.

Stakeholders, including political parties, civil society, the media, faith-based organisations and county governments, must support this effort through advocacy and collaboration. However, leadership rests squarely with the IEBC.

Ultimately, youth participation cannot be measured only in registration numbers; it must translate into meaningful influence in decision-making at every level. The commission has both the constitutional mandate and the upcoming mass registration window to turn the tide. The question is whether it will seize the moment or allow another generation to be written out of Kenya’s democratic story.

The clock is ticking.

The writer is a programme officer, MIDRIFT HURINET and governance advocate