The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) plans to roll out a digital voter registration system that will allow Kenyans to register using their mobile phones, further easing the process and making it more efficient.
Speaking on Thursday, IEBC Commissioner Anne Nderitu explained that the electoral commission is putting in place a system that will allow the citizens to do most of the registration processes remotely.
“But in terms of digital registration, we are actually processing and coming up with what we are calling a pre-registration module, where you capture your data just the way you are saying you capture your data. Indeed, you are going to scan your ID at the back of the ID here. There’s usually some coding there, RMDs that are there. Then you just whatever, and you populate your data into the system,” Nderitu said.
The new digital platform will feature a pre-registration module where users can enter personal information and scan their national identification cards. Once submitted, voters will be able to schedule an appointment with a registration officer to complete the biometric verification, which will still require a visit to the registration centre.
Nderitu likened the digital system to other government services, such as the Directorate of Criminal Investigations’ eCitizen forms, noting that it will streamline the registration process and reduce congestion at physical registration centres.
She said that the commission is creating the system internally using a team of young, innovative developers at its Directorate of ICT. The pre-registration module will add efficiency by reducing long queues in the city and enabling citizens to register at their convenience, while enhancing the integrity of the process.
“This initiative will leverage technology to make voter registration more accessible and streamlined for Kenyans across the country,” Nderitu said.
The system will be rolled out alongside the Enhanced Voter Registration programme, ensuring a seamless transition between digital pre-registration and in-person biometric verification. Nderitu said that the initiative is also designed to boost voter registration turnout, which has remained low since the programme’s initial rollout.
