Nairobi — The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is betting on technology to reverse persistently low voter registration among young Kenyans, unveiling plans for a digital pre-registration platform aimed at simplifying what it says has become a major barrier to participation.
The move comes amid sluggish registration numbers among citizens aged 18 to 35, a demographic that forms the largest share of the population but remains under-represented on the voters' roll.
Speaking during an engagement with the Evangelical Alliance of Kenya, IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon said the Commission was rethinking its traditional approach after concluding that the current system was failing to connect with younger voters.
The chairperson dismissed the notion that technology is the preserve of young people, but acknowledged that physical distance to registration centres may be discouraging turnout.
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"We are making an assumption that maybe the reason why the numbers are low is because of the way we have set up our centres, and that young people are reluctant to walk the distances that some of us used to," the chairperson said.
Under the proposed system, prospective voters will first fill out their personal details online through a secure link accessed via mobile phone or computer. They will then visit a nearby registration or Huduma centre solely to have their biometric data captured.
"All you need to do is walk in and give your fingerprints. We just take your biometrics. Three minutes and we are done," the chairperson said.
IEBC officials say the digital pre-registration process is designed to eliminate long queues and paperwork that have historically characterised voter registration drives, particularly in rural and peri-urban areas.
The announcement comes as continuous voter registration continues at constituency offices countrywide, although the Commission admits uptake has been slow. So far, just over 200,000 new voters have been registered.
The IEBC is now pinning its hopes on a nationwide mass registration drive scheduled for March 29, when temporary centres will be set up in most major villages. The digital pre-registration link is expected to play a central role in that exercise, enabling faster processing of large numbers of applicants.
Opposition leaders have argued that low registration reflects deeper disillusionment among youth, driven by unemployment, the high cost of living and skepticism about whether elections translate into tangible economic change.
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The IEBC, however, insists that easing access to registration is a necessary first step toward broader participation, maintaining that young people must be given the tools to exercise their democratic rights.
"We are facilitating them to make their own decisions. The power belongs to the people, but they have to register to exercise it," the chairperson said.
