NAIROBI, Kenya Jan 7 – The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has added seven more countries to the list of Diaspora voting in the August 2022 General Election.
The Commission’s Chairperson Wafula Chebukati on Friday announced that Kenyans living in the United Kingdom, Canada, United States of America (USA), South Sudan, Qatar, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Germany will have an opportunity to participate in the polls.
Consequently, Chebukati said that the voter registration exercise for Kenyans living in the Diaspora will commence on January 21, 2022 and lapse on February 6, 2022.
“The registration exercise will be conducted during the official working hours at the Kenyan Embassies, High Commission and Consulates in the respective countries,” he said.
The Commission’s announcement now brings the total number of Diaspora countries that will participate in the election to 12 this is after Burundi, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda and South Africa participated in the 2017 polls.
Chebukati reminded Kenyans living in the Diaspora that they will only vote for the President but they have the option of changing their voting stations to Kenya early in advance if they wish to vote for other candidates.
Presidential candidates including Deputy President William Ruto and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga have made trips in the Diaspora to popularize their bids.
Over 4, 000 Kenyans living in the Diaspora voted in the 2017 General Election.
The Commission is set to roll out the final leg of the voter registration exercise beginning January 17, 2022 to February 6 after receiving additional funds from Treasury.
