The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has issued a stern warning against double voter registration as the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise gains momentum ahead of the November 27 by-elections.

The commission described double registration as a serious electoral offence and assured citizens of robust safeguards to detect and prevent duplication.

Legal safeguards

The IEBC posted on X, emphasising that attempting to register more than once is punishable under the Elections Act. Biometric verification through the Kenya Integrated Election Management System (KIEMS), including fingerprints and iris scans, automatically flags duplicates.

The commission also urged the public to avoid spreading misinformation on social media that could undermine the registration process. The current CVR, which resumed on September 29, 2025, excludes the 24 electoral areas holding by-elections to maintain focus on registration integrity.

“Double registration is an electoral offence. Our system will definitely flag a person who attempts to register as a voter more than once. We urge members of the public to refrain from sharing incorrect information during the ongoing voter registration exercise.”

Progress and regional participation

As of October 31, 2025, the CVR exercise recorded 90,020 newly registered voters, 15,619 transfers, and 188 updates processed across 290 constituency offices.

Urban centres lead participation, with Nairobi recording 16,512 new registrations and 5,388 transfers, followed by Kiambu, Machakos, Mombasa, Meru, and Murang’a.

Arid and semi-arid regions such as Tana River, Wajir, Mandera, and Isiolo showed minimal activity, highlighting accessibility challenges. IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon said the exercise aligns with Article 88(4) of the Constitution and targets 6.3 million new voters ahead of the 2027 elections, at a projected cost of Sh7 billion.

By-election preparations

Alongside CVR, preparations for the November 27 by-elections, now covering 22 races, are underway. IEBC Election Operations Committee Chairperson Ann Nderitu confirmed a budget of approximately Ksh788 million, covering logistics, electoral officials’ training and payments, and transport to remote polling sites.

Ballot papers, printed in Athens, Greece, feature over 11 security elements to ensure credibility. Ten pallets of election materials arrived at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on November 20, with distribution set to begin on November 21. The commission confirmed all personnel are trained, marking the first by-election under the new leadership, with 51 political parties invited to observe the process.

The IEBC stressed that maintaining CVR integrity and preparing for by-elections are key to fostering a credible democratic process, calling on all stakeholders to actively engage in voter registration and ensure transparency in the electoral exercise.