The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has issued a last-minute appeal to eligible Kenyans to register as voters, as the Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration (ECVR) exercise comes to a close today, Tuesday, April 28, 2026.

In a statement released on the final day of the exercise, the electoral body urged citizens who have not yet registered to take advantage of the remaining hours, emphasising that the process has been made more flexible and accessible than in previous cycles.

“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.

Register from anywhere

A key highlight of the commission’s appeal is the deployment of “open kits”, which allow citizens to register for any polling station across the country regardless of their current location.

This means that Kenyans no longer need to travel to their home counties to register, a requirement that has historically limited participation, especially among students, workers, and urban migrants living away from their rural constituencies.

“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,” IEBC stated.

The move is expected to significantly lower logistical barriers and encourage last-minute registrations, particularly in major urban centres where many residents are far from their places of origin.

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 officials have not yet released final figures on how many new voters have been registered during the ECVR period, but the last-day appeal suggests the Commission is keen to maximise turnout before closing the exercise.

However, the commission had reported encouraging progress midway through the exercise.

IEBC 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.