IEBC on
Monday started continuous voter registration even as early signs point to
dismal turnout as Gen Zs give the exercise a wide berth.
A spot
check by the Star at various registration centres revealed clerks were left idle for hours over the
past three days as only a few people turned up to register.
The
electoral agency is targeting 6.3 million new voters before the 2027 general election, the majority being Gen Z.
Ten per cent
of the target is to be realised in the ongoing exercise.
IEBC officials acknowledged the low numbers but remained optimistic that the turnout would pick up once intensified civic education campaigns begin.
IEBC director
voter education and partnerships Joyce Ekuam urged the youth to take advantage
of the ongoing registration to make their voice count.
She said the youth must leave social media and show up at IEBC centres if they want their voice to be heard.
“Kenyan
youth, 2027 is your year. Get off social media platforms and vote. Elections are physical,” Ekuam said.
The lukewarm start has sparked debate in political circles, with leaders warning the country’s youth risk locking themselves out of the ballot in 2027.
Murang’a Senator Joe Nyutu called for the fast-tracking of ID issuance in counties to
ensure more youths who have attained 18 years are listed as voters.
“Without
an ID, you can’t register as a voter. The Registrar of Persons must hasten the
issuance of IDs to young people so they can register,” he said.
“Where I
come from, there are concerns of delayed issuance of the
ID cards.”
The
lawmaker, however, said this is the time for young people to come out and register.
“Never
judge a book by its cover. The turnout yesterday was a little disappointing.
The people who are expected to register as new voters are Gen Zs because the other
older people are already registered,” the Murang’a said.
“We had expected
it would provoke a lot of interest in Gen Z, but it is early, we still have time
and these Gen Zs are also Kenyans, and in Kenya, people normally like doing
things towards the deadline.”
Soy MP David Kiplagat said there is no need to panic as the drive is meant
to run eight months to the 2027 elections.
He urged politicians to drive the mobilisation process and have
as many young people as possible register as voters.
“There is
still time, when you are starting as usual, that lethargy is always there. Given
that the process will take one and a half years, we are still ok,”
Kiplagat said.
“Politicians
who are the main stakeholders will start their drives. As time goes on, quite a
number will register; we do not need to raise the alarm.”
Civil society groups have also weighed in, noting that political apathy among youth is being worsened by unemployment, and the manner in which the exercise is done, which requiresthe physical presence of the applicants.
Kenya
National Civil Society Centre executive director Suba Churchill told the Star
that IEBC should consider enabling registration online to get the tech-savvy
youths.
He, however, expressed
confidence the electoral agency will meet its target before
the elections.
“That [poor
turnout] was expected because there was no sufficient time for sensitisation. Many
young people are online savvy, if IEBC can come up with an online registration
option, then the numbers will be realised,” Churchill said.
“As usual
Kenyans love last-minute, a number of young Kenyans know the exercise will run
for long. I am still confident they will turn up and register.”
INSTANT ANALYSIS
In the 2022 elections, only about 40 per cent of eligible new voters turned up to register, most of them young people. Analysts warn that a repeat of that trend would leave a critical demographic underrepresented at a time when Gen Z is seen as the potential game changer in Kenya’s political realignment. With the voter registration drive set to run for weeks, the pressure is mounting on the IEBC and political leaders to convince Gen Z that registering is more than a formality—it is their ticket to shaping the leadership they demand.
