Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has given a strong warning against registering to vote twice as voter registration continues to increase ahead of the November 27 by-elections.
The commission characterised double registration as a serious electoral offence and gave citizens robust assurances that duplication would be detected and prevented.
The IEBC noted on X that registering multiple times is a punishable offence under the Elections Act. The Kenya Integrated Election Management System (KIEMS) automatically detects duplicates through biometric verification, which includes fingerprints and iris scans.
The commission also cautioned the public against disseminating misleading information on social media, which could compromise the registration process. The current CVR, which is scheduled to resume on September 29, 2025, is not currently conducting by-elections in the 24 electoral areas in order to keep the focus on maintaining the integrity of the registration process.
Registering to vote more than once is against the law. Our system will undoubtedly flag any individual who attempts to register to vote more than once. We advise the public to refrain from sharing inaccuracies during the current voter registration process.
Participation and growth across different regions
By October 31, 2025, the CVR exercise had processed 90,020 newly registered voters, 15,619 voter transfers, and 188 updates across 290 constituency offices.
Nairobi showed the highest participation, with 16,512 new registrations and 5,388 transfers, while Kiambu, Machakos, Mombasa, Meru, and Murang’a ranked second to sixth.
Areas such as the Tana River, Wajir, Mandera, and Isiolo, which are extremely dry and temperate, demonstrated minimal activity, thereby underscoring access issues. IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon stated that the exercise corresponds with Article 88(4) of the Constitution and aims to register 6.3 million new voters by the 2027 elections, at a projected cost of Sh7 billion.
By-election preparations
Preparations for the November 27 by-elections, which now involve 22 races, are currently underway, alongside CVR. The Chairperson of IEBC Election Operations Committee, Ann Nderitu, has confirmed that the budget for these preparations is approximately Ksh788 million, allocated for logistics, the training and payment of electoral officials, and transportation to remote polling sites.
Ballot papers, printed in Athens, Greece, contain more than 11 security features to guarantee their credibility. Ten pallets of election materials landed at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on November 20, preparing for distribution to start on November 21. The commission verified that all personnel have received training, marking the first by-election under the new leadership, which included 51 political parties invited to observe the process.
The IEBC emphasized that preserving the integrity of the CVR and preparing for by-elections are crucial to building a trustworthy democratic process, urging all parties involved to participate in voter registration and promote transparency in the electoral process.
