Former Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Nelson Havi has questioned the need for citizens to be “facilitated” to register as voters, arguing that such expectations reflect a failure in government planning and service delivery, especially as the voter registration period comes to a close.

Speaking in an interview with a local TV station on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, Havi said that mass voter registration was supposed to improve access to services and not create a scenario where voters are “facilitated” to register.

He said it is the state’s responsibility to ensure that potential voters are reached in an organised, well-resourced and accessible manner during the voter registration exercise.

“Why should people need to be facilitated to register? That reflects a failure on the part of the government. Mass voter registration was intended to take the process closer to the people, and it ought to have been fully facilitated by the state,” Havi noted.

Havi’s comments follow the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) ending the Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration (ECVR) exercise, which has once again brought into question the issues of accessibility, readiness, and the impact of voter facilitation efforts in view of upcoming elections.

He added that the end of the ECVR exercise points to the need to address issues of outreach and awareness that continue to impact voter participation. He said that voter registration should not be limited by time and logistical constraints that deny potential voters’ participation in the voting exercise once it is over.

The former LSK president said the government institution responsible for electoral affairs must comprehensively facilitate political participation from beginning to end to ensure voter registration is not only periodic but also continuous for all eligible voters.

ECVR ends

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.

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,” the IEBC stated.