The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has called for adequate funding from the National Assembly to facilitate smooth electoral processes, including voter registration, voter education and the necessary reforms.

IEBC Chief Executive Officer(CEO) Marjan Hussein Marjan said the electoral body needs to be facilitated urgently to embark on the delayed voter registration, 2027 elections preparedness, reforms, and boundary delimitation.

According to Marjan, the voter registration process, as outlined in Article 88 of the Constitution and the Elections Act, should be continuous, except during election periods.

However, since the departure of all IEBC commissioners, the commission has been unable to continue with the registration.

Identification cards

“The assumption was that in March 2023, we would have commissioners in place, but unfortunately, that has not happened,” Marjan explained.

Marjan also stressed the need to empower youth to ensure they acquired national identification cards (IDs) to be eligible to participate in voter registration.

“The most important discussion that has come out of this meeting was the revelation that we have many youth out there who need to take their IDs so that they are ready when the platform is open for them to register as voters,” said Marjan.

Marjan was speaking when he met youthful MPs under the umbrella of the Kenya Young Parliamentarians Association (KYPA) led by chairperson Gitonga Mukunji.

“It is sad that an institution as critical as the IEBC has not been given the seriousness it deserves when it comes to budgetary allocations,” Mukunji, who is also the Manyatta MP, said.

The MP addressed the need to improve voter turnout citing the 2022 elections, where voter turnout stood at 64 per cent and urging IEBC and other stakeholders to push for an 80 per cent turnout in 2027 through extensive voter sensitisation.