Safina Party leader and businessman Jimi Wanjigi has sharply criticised the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) over its recent clarification regarding Kenya’s biometric voter register.

Taking to his official X account on Saturday, April 4, 2026, Wanjigi dismissed the Commission’s position as “nonsense”, arguing that all eligible Kenyan voters had already been registered through previous biometric exercises.

The IEBC had earlier stated that Kenyans who registered as voters before 2012 are not automatically included in the current biometric Register of Voters (RoV).

According to the Commission, only those who failed to re-register after 2012 are required to enrol afresh.

Biometric voter registration exercise

However, Wanjigi disputed this assertion, pointing out that Kenya undertook a comprehensive biometric voter registration exercise ahead of the 2013 and 2017 general elections.

“All Kenyan voters were registered afresh through BVR and later KIEMS in 2012 ahead of 2013 and 2017 polls. Subsequently, all new voters have been enlisted in a similar manner,” he said, before adding, “IEBC, your nonsense!”

The remarks come amid growing scrutiny over the integrity and management of Kenya’s voter register, a critical component of the electoral process that has historically been a source of political contestation.

The dispute raises fresh questions about the accuracy, inclusivity, and audit status of the voter register, particularly as the country moves closer to the 2027 General Election.

Concerns over voter registration processes, including diaspora participation and the use of technology, have also been gaining prominence in recent weeks.

The IEBC now faces mounting pressure to provide further clarity on the status of the Register of Voters and to reassure Kenyans of its reliability.

IEBC clarification

The commission had, in a post shared on April 4, 2026, explained that only those who missed registration after 2012 need to enrol afresh.

“Should those who registered before 2012 as voters need to register afresh? Not at all UNLESS they DID NOT register as voters from 2012 when the new Register of Voter (RoV) was established under the Constitution of Kenya 2010 and boundaries delimitation of 2012,” the statement read.

Before 2012, the voter register was manual. In 2012, it transitioned to a biometric system, requiring all eligible Kenyans to enrol and have their biometrics captured.

This biometric register has been in use since 2013. As of the 2022 General Election, the Commission maintained a verified register of 22,120,458 voters.

“We have not asked all old voters pre-2012 to register afresh. Only those few who might have missed to register in 2012 and have never registered under the biometric system need to do so.”

The clarification followed IEBC’s earlier statement that all individuals registered before 2012 are not included in the current biometric RoV unless they re-registered after 2012.

IEBC continues its nationwide Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration (ECVR) exercise, which began on March 30, 2026, and runs until April 28, 2026. The exercise is taking place in all 1,450 County Assembly Wards, institutions of higher learning, Huduma Centres, the Customer Experience Centre at Anniversary Towers, and constituency offices.