Former Devolution and Planning Principal Secretary Irungu Nyakera has raised concerns over alleged attempts by foreign nationals to register as voters in the ongoing voter registration exercise being conducted by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
In a statement on Tuesday, October 7, Nyakera said he visited several registration centres in Nairobi, and found the trend that could undermine the credibility of the electoral process.
“Since IEBC opened the voter registration process on 29th September, I have visited several stations in Nairobi to observe how the exercise is progressing.
“Many clerks have expressed concern about the number of Burundi, Ethiopian and Ugandan nationals presenting Kenyan IDs for purposes of registering as voters,” he said.
Nyakera cautioned that any infiltration of non-citizens into the voter register poses a serious threat to Kenya’s democracy.
He called for stricter verification measures to ensure that only eligible citizens are allowed to register.
“I wish to emphasize that the credibility of our voter register is a cornerstone of our democracy. Only duly verified Kenyan citizens should be issued with national IDs and allowed to register as voters.
“I urge IEBC clerks to whistle-blow on social media any irregularities observed. Upholding the integrity of our registration systems is essential to protecting the sovereignty and future of our country,” he added.
This comes days after IEBC provided an update on the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, which was relaunched on Monday, September 29.
In a statement on Friday, October 3, IEBC reported steady growth in the enrolment of new voters just four days after the resumption.
According to IEBC, as of Thursday, October 2, new registrations stood at 7,048, while 259 voters successfully transferred their details to new electoral areas.
In addition, eight voters updated their information nationally.
“In the last four (4) days since resumption, the Commission has recorded progressive growth in the enrolment of new voters into the Register of Voters.
“As of 2nd October 2025, new enrolments stood at 7,048, while those who successfully transferred their registration to their new preferred electoral areas were 259 voters. In addition, eight (8) voters updated their details nationally,” the statement read.
At the same time, IEBC announced enhancements to the biometric registration process, now including iris recognition as part of voter identification.
IEBC explained that the addition of the iris feature provides an alternative form of identification should fingerprint recognition fail.
“In line with Section 2 of the Elections Act, Cap 7, the voter registration process entails the collection of both biographic information and biometric identifiers. Previously, the Commission captured fingerprints and a digital facial photograph as the only two biometric identifiers. This year, an additional biometric feature — the iris — has been incorporated.
“The iris provides an alternative means of voter identification should fingerprint recognition fail. The inclusion of iris recognition is expressly permissible under the law, which provides for biometric identifiers such as fingerprints, hand geometry, earlobe geometry, retina and iris patterns, voice waves, DNA, and signatures,” the statement added.
