Low Turnout Mars IEBC Voter Registration Drive as Commission Eyes 6.5 Million Gen Z Target

The muted response to the first day of Kenya’s Continuous Voter Registration exercise has set off alarm bells among political analysts and electoral officials, raising questions about whether the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission will achieve its ambitious goal of adding six million new voters before the 2027 general elections.

The sparse queues at registration centres on Monday painted a stark contrast to the fervent political energy that gripped the nation during last year’s youth-led anti-government protests, prompting soul-searching about civic participation and the disconnect between street activism and electoral engagement.

IEBC Chairman Erastus Ethekon launched the registration drive at a colourful ceremony in Kajiado County, flanked by commissioners and Governor Joseph Ole Lenku, but the pageantry could not mask concerns about whether young Kenyans who demonstrated remarkable organisational prowess during the protests would translate that passion into voter registration.

“We saw the Gen Zs come out last year, and this year, to passionately correct the government over bad governance. They must understand that Kenya is governed by the rule of law and the only way to change a government is through the ballot,” said Bosco Kiura, a governance expert, during an interview on KTN News.

The commission’s target is staggering in its ambition.

If successful, the voter register would swell from 22 million verified voters in 2022 to 28 million eligible voters by 2027, with Generation Z expected to form the backbone of this expansion.

The current phase, running through Friday, aims to capture at least 10 per cent of the target, approximately 600,000 new registrants.

But the lacklustre turnout has exposed deeper fractures in the relationship between IEBC and the electorate, with political risk analyst Dismas Mokua pointing to a crisis of institutional credibility that may be dampening enthusiasm for registration.

“IEBC must stamp its institutional independence to regain trust and credibility which could be partly blamed for any apathy witnessed,” Mokua said, though he insisted that Kenyans must overcome their scepticism and register to vote as a tool for accountability.

The electoral body has structured its registration drive in phases, with a more intensive push planned immediately after the November 27 by-elections expected to capture 40 per cent of the target.

A third phase during the 2025/2026 financial year would aim to register the remaining three million voters.

Ethekon acknowledged the trust deficit and pledged that the commission would deliver credible elections in 2027, emphasising that building a clean voter register was non-negotiable.

“As IEBC we have to create a credible register, that is not negotiable. It must reflect the true number of voters on the ground,” the chairman said. “By doing that, we safeguard the integrity of the 2027 general elections.”

Analysts suggest that IEBC must urgently deploy technology and targeted civic education campaigns to reach young voters where they are, rather than waiting for them to show up at registration centres.

The commission has made registration available at all 290 constituency offices and Huduma Centres nationwide, where Kenyans can also update their details or transfer to preferred voting areas.

Mokua framed voter registration as essential to Kenya’s democratic health, arguing that the ballot box remains the most powerful tool citizens have to demand better governance.

“Voting promotes meritocracy and can also be used to punish impunity, mediocrity and corruption,” he said.

The challenge facing IEBC now is whether it can transform the raw political energy of the protest generation into sustained civic engagement, or whether the lukewarm start to the registration drive signals a broader disillusionment with electoral democracy among young Kenyans who have seen their voices resonate in the streets but doubt whether their votes will matter at the ballot box.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​