Jubilee Party dismisses IEBC’s directive for pre-2012 voters to reregister
By Mustafa Juma, April 5, 2026The Jubilee Party has strongly opposed a directive by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) requiring Kenyans who registered as voters before 2012 to re-register, terming the move unconstitutional and politically motivated.
Speaking to journalists on Sunday, April 5, 2026, Jubilee Party Secretary General Moitalel Ole Kenta accused the electoral body of attempting to disenfranchise millions of voters ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Kenta questioned the whereabouts of voter records from previous electoral cycles, arguing that the directive raises serious concerns about the integrity and management of the voter register.
“Kutoka 2012 kurudi mpaka 2007, na hata huko nyuma, hizo register zilienda wapi. Records zilienda wapi. Tunataka kujua ni nini inaendelea kwa sababu hiyo inamaanisha kwamba ni watu mamilioni ambao mnataka kuwanyang’anya kura,” Ole Kenta said.
He further claimed that the move could be part of a broader scheme by the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) administration to manipulate the electoral process in its favour, warning citizens to remain vigilant.
Removal of dead voters
According to Kenta, the only acceptable adjustment to the voter register should be the removal of deceased individuals, not the forced re-registration of eligible voters who had already been captured in previous biometric systems.
“Na Mimi ningetaka kuwaambia wakenya wajitahadhari kwa sababu serikali ya UDA imeona kwamba wanaenda kushindwa na wanajaribu kutafuta mbinu zote, ambazo ni chafu, za kuhakikisha yakwamba wakenya wanatolewa kwa register. Ile tunataka wafanye ni kutoa watu ambao wamefariki kwa register lakini sio kwenda kusema yakwamba tangu 2012 watu wajisajili upya,” he said.
“Ama wanataka kusema ule mtu yeyote ambaye alikuwa ameregister 2012 na nyuma yake wote walifariki?“
Voter registration
The Jubilee Party also called on young voters to continue registering in large numbers while remaining alert to any attempts to interfere with the credibility of the electoral process.
“Tungetaka kusema kuwa hiyo ni kitu ambayo tumekataa kama wakenya na tunataka register ikuwe vile ilivyo, na pia naambia vijana kuwa hii ni nchi yenu, tunapenda vile mnaregister lakini tunataka muendelee zaidi,” Ole Kenta urged.
The controversy follows a clarification by the IEBC that only individuals who missed registration after the introduction of biometric systems in 2012 would be required to enrol afresh, insisting that the current Register of Voters remains valid.
However, the directive has sparked a growing political storm, with opposition leaders raising concerns over transparency, trust, and the preparedness of the electoral body to conduct free, fair, and credible elections in 2027.