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The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has clarified that only voters who registered before 2012 and were not captured in the biometric voter register are required to register afresh during the ongoing voter registration exercise.
In a statement addressing earlier announcements, the commission explained that Kenyans who registered before 2012 do not need to re-register if they were already enrolled in the biometric system introduced after the 2010 Constitution and the 2012 boundaries delimitation.
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“Do those who registered before 2012 need to register again? Not at all, unless they missed enrolling in the 2012 biometric register,” the IEBC said.
The commission noted that prior to 2012, the voter register was manual. The introduction of the biometric system in 2012 aimed to improve accuracy, transparency, and credibility in elections. Eligible voters were required to have their biometric data captured, forming the official register used in the 2013 general election and subsequent polls.
The biometric Register of Voters has remained the official record since 2013. By the 2022 elections, IEBC maintained an audited register of 22,120,458 voters, highlighting continued reliance on the biometric system.
“So, we have not asked all pre-2012 voters to register again. Only those who missed registration in 2012 and have never enrolled in the biometric system are affected,” the commission emphasized.
This clarification comes after IEBC Chairperson Erastus Edung Ethekon’s earlier remarks led some to believe that all pre-2012 voters would have to re-register, prompting public debate.
IEBC reassured the public that the requirement only affects a small number of voters who have never registered under the biometric system. The commission urged eligible Kenyans who have not yet enrolled to take advantage of the ongoing Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration (ECVR) exercise to ensure inclusion in the current Register of Voters.
