Saboti Member of Parliament (MP) Caleb Amisi has welcomed the surge in new voter registrations recorded during the month-long Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration (ECVR) exercise that will be closed on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, terming it a potential game-changer in Kenya’s political landscape.

Taking to his official X account on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, Amisi claimed that close to 1.89 million new voters had already been captured, expressing optimism that the number could rise significantly in the coming months.

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) lawmaker, who is now allied to the rebel Linda Mwananchi faction, argued that by December 2026, the number of new voters might have risen to four million.

According to him, the numbers will disturb what he terms the stubborn status quo.

“We are at 1.89 million new voters. I estimate that by December this year, there will be four million new voters registered. This is what is going to disturb the stubborn status quo,” he said.

The increase in registered voters is likely to trigger fresh political calculations across the board, with parties and candidates expected to intensify outreach efforts targeting first-time voters.

IEBC closes registration

IEBC had earlier issued a last-minute appeal urging eligible Kenyans to register before the ECVR deadline, highlighting the use of “open kits” that allowed citizens to register from any location regardless of their home constituency.

“Today marks the end of ECVR. Register as a voter today,” the Commission said, in what appeared to be a final push to boost registration numbers before the deadline lapses.

“You do not need to travel to your home county to register. The Commission has deployed open kits, which allow a citizen to register as a voter for any polling station in Kenya from the registration centre near you.”

Race against time

With the deadline falling today, registration centres across the country are expected to see increased activity as eligible voters rush to beat the cutoff.

The month-long nationwide exercise, which began on March 30, is part of the IEBC’s continuous voter registration programme aimed at updating the voter register ahead of future elections. It allows new voters to sign up, existing voters to transfer polling stations, and others to update personal details.

IEBC had earlier confirmed that more than 1.37 million new voters had been registered between March 30 and April 16, with a notable surge among young and first-time voters.

IEBC Chairperson Erastus Edung Ethekon attributed the increase to growing civic awareness, describing it as a positive sign of democratic engagement across the country as the voter registration deadline approaches.

After closing the exercise, the Commission is now expected to begin the process of cleaning and verifying the voter register ahead of future electoral activities.