Kenyans who registered as voters before 2012 will be required to register afresh to participate in the 2027 General Election, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has announced.
IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon made the announcement on Thursday, April 2, 2026, stating that the directive is part of efforts to clean up the voters’ register and ensure all eligible voters are captured in the current biometric Register of Voters (RoV).
“The current biometric register came into operation in 2012 following key electoral reforms, including the promulgation of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010, the enactment of the Elections Act, and the introduction of biometric voter registration,” Ethekon said in a statement.
He clarified that individuals who registered before 2012 are not part of the current biometric RoV unless they later presented themselves for fresh registration. “Consequently, individuals who had previously enrolled as voters before 2012 are not part of the current biometric RoV unless they subsequently presented themselves for fresh registration. They are, therefore, required to register afresh in order to be included in the current biometric register,” he added.
The announcement has sparked mixed reactions among Kenyans, with some expressing concern that the move could be a ploy to manipulate the outcome of the 2027 elections. Others, however, have welcomed the directive as a necessary step toward ensuring a credible and transparent electoral process.
The clarification comes as the IEBC continues its nationwide Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration (ECVR) exercise, which began on March 30, 2026, and will run for 30 days. The exercise is being conducted across all 1,450 County Assembly Wards, institutions of higher learning, Huduma Centres, the Customer Experience Centre at Anniversary Towers, and constituency offices.
According to the Commission, the ECVR aims to update the voters’ roll by capturing new eligible voters, transferring voters who have relocated, and removing the names of deceased persons. The IEBC has urged all eligible Kenyans, especially those who registered before 2012, to take advantage of the ongoing exercise to ensure they are eligible to vote in the 2027 General Election.
