Kibwana links NYOTA Fund with Ruto’s 2027 campaign plan
By Emmanuel Rono, April 10, 2026Political analyst Kivutha Kibwana has stressed how important young people are likely to be in the upcoming elections.
Speaking during an interview with a local station on Thursday, April 9, 2026, Kibwana pointed to the growing efforts to get young people involved in politics across the country.
He noted that the political landscape is changing and that organising young voters, from getting them voter registration cards to going to the polls and making sure the process is fair, will have a big impact on the results of the elections.
PHOTO/Screengrab by People Daily Digital/X
“The young people are a major factor in the coming elections and the way in which they get organised in terms of getting the voter’s card and also being able to vote and to protect the vote,” Kibwana said.
NYOTA programme
Kibwana linked the voters’ efforts on youth engagement to recent government initiatives, including the proposed Nyota Fund.
He suggested that the move reflects an acknowledgement by William Ruto of the political weight carried by the youth demographic.
He argued that such interventions are not coincidental but rather a strategic response to the growing influence of young voters, who form a significant portion of the electorate.
“I think that is something that will be very central, and no wonder the president comes up with the NYOTA fund because he knows that the young people will really be very, very critical,” Kibwana noted.
He stressed that the effectiveness of youth participation will depend on how well they are organised and informed and that being disorganised could lessen the impact they could have.
IEBC on mass voter registration
In a statement shared on X on Friday, April 3, 2026, the commission announced progress in the ongoing nationwide voter registration exercise while clarifying that Kenyans who registered before 2012 must enrol afresh to be included in the current biometric register.
The IEBC said the current biometric Register of Voters (RoV) came into operation in 2012 after the promulgation of the 2010 constitution.
“The current biometric Register of Voters (RoV) came into operation in 2012 upon the promulgation of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010; the enactment of the Elections Act, which introduced biometric voter registration as a key electoral reform measure; and the boundaries delimitation of 2012,” the statement read in part.