The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has partnered with the Mombasa County Government to launch a month-long voter registration and civic awareness campaign aimed at increasing participation ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The initiative, unveiled at Mama Ngina Waterfront, targets youth, women, persons living with disabilities and marginalized communities who remain underrepresented in the voters’ register.
IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon Edung' said the enhanced registration exercise is part of the Commission’s broader strategy to make services more accessible and inclusive.
“We are committed to ensuring that every eligible Kenyan has the opportunity to register and participate in choosing their leaders in the 2027 General Election,” he said.
The Commission estimates that Kenya has about 22.1 million registered voters against a target of over 26 million, leaving a significant gap largely attributed to low youth registration.
In Mombasa, officials are seeking to raise the number of registered voters from about 642,000 to 825,000. More than 17,000 new voters have already been added since the start of the exercise.
Ethekon said IEBC has deployed trained staff across registration centres to support all categories of voters, including persons with disabilities, and assured the public of improved systems to prevent technical challenges witnessed in past elections.
“We will ensure a credible process that gives every Kenyan a fair chance to vote without fear, intimidation or bias,” he said.
Mombasa Governor Abdullswamad Sheriff Nassir urged residents to take personal responsibility in registering as voters, emphasizing that the process is not tied to political parties.
“This is about your right. Your voter card is your voice, and without it, you hand over your power to someone else,” he said.
The Governor said the county will rely on grassroots mobilization through teachers and community health promoters (CHPs) to reach households and ensure eligible residents are registered.
He added that the county is also integrating access to national identification cards and SHA registration into the exercise to remove barriers that may prevent residents from registering as voters.
The joint campaign is expected to intensify outreach efforts across the county, particularly in urban and underserved areas, as both national and county leaders push to close the voter registration gap before the next general election.
