NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 29 — The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has hailed the more than 1.8 million Kenyans who turned out to register as voters during the just-concluded Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration (ECVR) exercise.
IEBC Chairman Erastus Ethekon stressed the importance of political participation, citing Article 38 of the Constitution of Kenya, which guarantees every citizen the right to vote.
“I sincerely thank everyone who turned out to register as voters and take part in shaping the future of our nation,” he said.
Long queues were reported at IEBC registration centres across Nairobi as Kenyans rushed to beat the voter registration deadline.
The 30-day Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration exercise, themed “Deepening Democracy in Kenya Through Inclusive Voter Registration,” had targeted the registration of 2.5 million new voters.
The IEBC chairperson added: “These rights can only be realised through voter registration, which is the gateway to active participation in the electoral process.”
Despite government efforts to fast-track production, many applicants—particularly youths—reported delays in receiving their national identity cards.
In its latest update released on Friday, April 24, 2026, the IEBC said the figure reflects an increase of 505,344 new registrations in six days, up from 1,370,930 recorded on April 17, 2026.
Nairobi County leads in new registrations with 209,965, followed by Kiambu (97,557), Nakuru (81,166), Kakamega (80,711), and Machakos (65,616).
Other strong performers include Meru (56,486), Kilifi (54,171), Kisii (50,551), and Turkana (50,310). At the lower end, Lamu recorded the fewest registrations at 8,345, followed by Isiolo (9,291), Mandera (14,946), Samburu (17,361), and Nyamira (17,575).
The Commission also reported 159,410 voter transfers and 2,817 updates to personal details during the same period.
