Nairobi, Kiambu lead as IEBC registers 250,391 new voters

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has registered 250,391 new voters since the launch of the Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration (ECVR) exercise on September 29 last year, Commissioner Dr. Alutalala Mukhwana has revealed.

Speaking on Citizen TV’s ‘The Explainer’ show on Tuesday night, Dr. Mukhwana said the new registrations have largely been concentrated in urban and peri-urban areas, with Nairobi leading the pack.

Kiambu, Machakos, Nakuru and Mombasa counties follow closely, reflecting a trend where population density and access to services continue to shape voter turnout.

However, the commissioner expressed concern over the persistently low registration numbers in arid and semi-arid regions.

He noted that counties such as Isiolo, Mandera and Tana River are lagging significantly, a situation he attributed to sparse populations, nomadic lifestyles driven by harsh climatic conditions, and systemic barriers in accessing identification documents.

“There are also the issues of do they get their ID cards in time? There are cases in Turkana, for example, where elderly people don’t have birth certificates, leave alone IDs,” he said.

“The youth engagement, as of today, remains low, but the overall percentage of the (newly registered) youth aged 35 and below stands at 32.65%. The 18-20 year olds are worst hit, we only have 67,888 of them.”

Dr. Mukhwana pointed to delays in acquiring national IDs after leaving school and a lack of civic awareness as key factors behind the low uptake among this age bracket.

He called for early civic education within schools to ensure young people are better prepared and motivated to register once they become eligible.

Overall, Kenya’s total number of registered voters now stands at 22,352,923 as of 2026. Of the newly registered voters, 50.9 per cent are male while 49.1 per cent are female, indicating a near gender balance.

In terms of county performance, Nairobi leads with 49,055 new voters, followed by Kiambu with 20,404. Together, Dr. Mukhwana revealed, the two counties account for 27 per cent of all new registrations.

Mombasa ranks third with 15,140, followed by Machakos (11,687); Nakuru (10,432); Kitui (9,401); Kisii (8,871); Kakamega (8,078); Meru (7,499); and Murang’a (7,267).

At the bottom of the scale, Isiolo has registered just 112 new voters, Tana River 241, Lamu 578, Elgeyo Marakwet 552 and Mandera 994, underscoring the stark regional disparities.

Dr. Mukhwana further noted that older voters dominate the new registrations, with those aged above 35 accounting for 67.35 per cent, compared to 32 per cent among younger voters.

He said this trend suggests that the momentum in voter registration is currently being driven more by middle-aged citizens than by first-time voters, raising questions about long-term electoral participation if youth engagement is not improved.