Nearly 900,000 Kenyans have registered as new voters in just two weeks, the electoral agency has said, as the commission intensifies its Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration (ECVR) exercise across all 1,450 wards ahead of the 2027 polls.
In a press statement issued in Nairobi on Friday, Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairperson Erastus Ethekon said the commission had registered 875,501 new voters between March 30 and April 9, 2026, marking what he termed a “remarkable surge” in public participation.
The ECVR exercise, which began on March 30, is scheduled to run until April 28, 2026 and is being conducted across all the 1,450 County Assembly Wards (CAWs) countrywide.
It is also taking place in institutions of higher learning, Huduma Centres, IEBC constituency offices, the Customer Experience Centre at Anniversary Towers, and other designated registration points.
The commission said it has also been engaging stakeholders at national, county and constituency levels to support the registration drive and mobilise eligible citizens to enrol.
“This growth is not just a statistic; it is a testament to a nation that is awake, engaged, and ready to take charge of its destiny,” the commission said.
The latest update reflects a significant acceleration in registration numbers compared to the commission’s previous update issued on April 3, 2026.
According to the IEBC, 531,185 new voters were added in the seven days between April 3 and April 9, underscoring what the commission described as a building momentum that could potentially reshape voter participation trends heading into 2027.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Chairperson Erastus Ethekon makes his remarks during the signing of a memorandum of understanding between IEBC and the Kenya Media Sector Working Group in Nairobi on March 27, 2026.
Photo credit: Francis Nderitu | Nation Nedia Group
According to the figures, Nairobi registered 96,897 new voters, far ahead of other counties, reaffirming the capital’s dominance as Kenya’s largest voter bloc growth centre.
Nairobi also led in voter movement, recording 10,309 transfers of registration and 243 changes of particulars, the highest in the country.
Kiambu followed with 46,265 new registrations, while Kakamega posted 40,110, Nakuru 32,559, Machakos 30,686, and Meru 27,502. Bungoma also performed strongly with 26,820, while Turkana registered 25,012 and Kisii 24,785.
The coastal region posted mixed results, with Kilifi registering 23,980, Mombasa 21,258, and Kwale 11,841, while Lamu recorded only 4,810.
The Rift Valley and Eastern regions also posted significant numbers, with Nakuru recording 32,559 new voters and Machakos 30,686. Meru (27,502), Bungoma (26,820) and Turkana (25,012).
Counties in the coastal and western regions continue to show strong participation, with Kilifi registering 23,980 new voters, Kitui 23,095 and Kisii 24,785. Kajiado (21,731) and Mombasa (21,258) also feature among the top counties in list of newly registered voters.
At the lower end, Lamu (4,810), Isiolo (5,379), Mandera (7,337), Nyandarua (7,906), and Nyamira (8,146) recorded the lowest number of new voter enrollments, highlighting slower uptake in some remote and sparsely populated counties.
The report also showed significant voter mobility, with counties like Kiambu (3,331 transfers), Nakuru (2,811), Kisii (2,839), and Mombasa (2,599) recording notable numbers of voters shifting their registration stations.
Overall, the IEBC reported a national total of 875,501 new voter registrations, 49,502 transfers, and 1,066 changes of particulars.
The figures underline growing voter registration momentum as Kenya edges closer to the next general election cycle, with major urban centres and high-population counties emerging as the biggest contributors to the expanding voter roll.
