The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has reinstated its voter verification portal following a days-long outage that left millions of Kenyans unable to access or confirm their voter registration details.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the commission announced that the system was now fully operational after undergoing a maintenance and infrastructure migration exercise aimed at improving performance and data security.
The outage affected both the online portal and the SMS platform, which allows users to send their ID or passport number and year of birth to 70000 for verification. The unannounced and unexplained disruption caused growing public anxiety, particularly as attention begins to shift toward the 2027 General Election.
“We wish to assure all Kenyans that the registration details of the 22,120,458 registered voters, as recorded during the 2022 General Election, remain intact and secure,” the IEBC said in its statement. It emphasized that the upgrades were necessary to enhance system functionality and safeguard voter data.
However, the commission faced criticism for poor communication and lack of transparency during the outage. It did not initially specify when the maintenance began, how long it would last, or provide any technical details about the upgrade. Its early messages only noted that an update would be issued “once the system is fully operational.”
The absence of a clear communication timeline drew backlash from civil society groups, voters, and political observers, with many citing Kenya’s fraught electoral history and the critical need for public trust in election systems. The sudden inaccessibility of verification tools further heightened scrutiny of the IEBC’s preparedness ahead of 2027.
While the restoration of the portal has brought relief, calls for accountability and improved communication protocols persist. Analysts warn that the commission must adopt more transparent and proactive strategies in managing digital electoral infrastructure to rebuild and maintain public confidence.
With over 22 million registered voters and increasing political mobilization across the country, the voter verification tool remains a cornerstone of electoral integrity, ensuring the accuracy of the voter roll and empowering citizens to fully participate in the democratic process.
As Kenya moves closer to the next general election, the IEBC’s technological reliability, institutional transparency, and engagement with the public are expected to remain under close watch.
Written By Rodney Mbua
