Erastus Ethekon, when he appeared for the interviews on March 25, 2025/HANDOUT
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has announced plans to resume continuous voter registration in August 2025, following a two-year suspension.
In a statement on Saturday, IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon said the commission has been working behind the scenes to lay the necessary groundwork for the exercise, which is aimed at updating the register of voters and giving more Kenyans, especially the youth, a chance to participate in future elections.
"IEBC is currently finalising internal processes and in August next month, we will announce via a gazette notice the timelines of resumption of continuous voter registration to allow eligible citizens of Kenya to register as voters," he stated.
Ethekon noted that the commission had been unable to proceed with the registration exercise earlier due to legal constraints.
The law requires the presence of a fully constituted commission to make decisions regarding voter registration.
Following the departure of previous commissioners after the 2022 General Election, the IEBC lacked the quorum necessary to authorise the resumption of the process.
“In our absence, therefore, the secretariat could not do much rather than to wait for the constitution of the commission, which we have now,” he explained.
The IEBC Chair added that the commission was aware of the increasing demand for the resumption of voter registration, a call that has been strongly echoed over the past two years, particularly by Kenya’s youth and members of the political class.
He acknowledged the mounting calls from Kenyans to take part in the country’s democratic processes.
“These calls are driven largely by a new generation of voters eager to participate in the democratic processes in accordance with the Constitution,” he said.
“We hear the voices of young Kenyans. The IEBC has been laying the groundwork for the resumption of voter registration to ensure no voices are left out.”
Ethekon underscored the importance of a clean, accurate, and inclusive voter register, describing it as the foundation of free, fair, and transparent elections.
"The credibility of any elections depends heavily on the accuracy and integrity of the voter register. A clean and inclusive register is not merely administrative, it’s a foundation of free, fair and transparent elections,” he said.
He further emphasised that constant engagement with stakeholders will continue as the commission prepares to roll out the crucial exercise.
