The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has unveiled plans to extend diaspora voter registration and voting to 16 additional countries ahead of the 2027 General Election, in a move aimed at widening participation.

The new countries include Saudi Arabia, Australia, Italy, the Netherlands, Nigeria and China, among others, reflecting regions with a growing number of Kenyan nationals.

IEBC acting CEO Moses Sunkuli said the expansion is part of a gradual effort to make voting more accessible to citizens outside the country.

“The Commission will expand registration and voting to additional countries with substantial Kenyan populations,” Sunkuli said, adding that the rollout will be guided by factors such as population size, cost and operational feasibility.

Despite an estimated 1.4 million Kenyans living abroad, participation in past elections has remained low. Only 10,443 diaspora voters were registered in 2022.

“As of the 2022 elections, 10,443 voters were registered… however, voter turnout stood at 57.76%,” Sunkuli noted.

To reach more Kenyans, the IEBC plans to introduce mobile registration centres in countries such as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and South Africa, targeting cities with high concentrations of diaspora communities.

However, the expansion faces funding and legal hurdles. The Commission estimates it will need about KSh502 million to carry out the exercise, but has only been allocated KSh400 million.

“This allocation is limited and may jeopardise the Commission’s plans on diaspora activities,” Sunkuli warned.

He also pointed to legal restrictions that tie diaspora voting to the presence of Kenyan embassies, calling for reforms to allow more flexibility.

“The Commission is unable to fully operationalise the constitutional requirement… we request support in amending this provision,” he told MPs.

The move is anchored in the Constitution, which guarantees every citizen the right to vote and calls for the progressive inclusion of Kenyans living abroad.