NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 16 — IEBC has announced ongoing discussions with the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services to establish a dedicated Application Programming Interface (API) linked to the Integrated Population Registration System (IPRS) for ID validation.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission said the move aims to enhance voter identification and ensure the accuracy of the voters’ register.
In a statement issued Monday, IEBC said the proposed API integration will allow real-time validation of national ID cards and passports against the master population register, ensuring that only legitimate identification documents are used during voter registration.
“The Commission has been engaging the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services on various areas of collaboration, including establishing a secure API link with the Integrated Population Registration System to ensure only legitimate ID and passport numbers are used,” IEBC said.
The Commission noted that the initiative is part of broader efforts to strengthen the integrity of the voter register in line with its constitutional and statutory mandate.
IEBC emphasized that Article 88(4) of the Constitution and Sections 4 and 6 of the Elections Act, 2011, mandate it to register voters, maintain an accurate and up-to-date voter register, and safeguard its integrity.
The Commission also reaffirmed its independence under Article 249(2)(b) of the Constitution, which protects constitutional commissions from external direction or control.
The statement comes amid concerns raised by the Democratic Party regarding IEBC’s engagement with the National Registration Bureau on voter registration data and identity verification.
Routine collaboration
IEBC said it routinely collaborates with state agencies that are lawful custodians of population data, including the National Registration Bureau, Civil Registration Services, and Directorate of Immigration Services, to ensure credible voter registration processes.
The Commission explained that controlled data-sharing arrangements are standard practice among public agencies and regulated private institutions, such as banks, insurance firms, and telecommunications companies, which rely on population databases for identity verification, fraud prevention, and regulatory compliance.
IEBC assured Kenyans that the voter register remains exclusively under its custody and control, and that personal data is protected in accordance with the Constitution, the Elections Act, the Elections (Registration of Voters) Regulations, 2012, and the Data Protection Act, 2019.
The Commission said it will inform stakeholders once the API integration engagements are finalized.
IEBC Chairperson Erastus Edung Ethekon urged political actors and stakeholders to avoid making unverified or inflammatory statements that could undermine public confidence in the electoral process.
“We urge stakeholders, especially the political actors, to refrain from uncorroborated, inflammatory, and divisive statements that not only undermine the integrity of electoral processes, but also the independence of the Commission,” he said.
