IEBC Plans to Extend Diaspora Voting to 14 More Countries in 2027

Kenya’s electoral commission plans to expand diaspora voting from 12 countries in 2022 to 26 countries in the 2027 General Election.

Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairperson Erastus Ethekon said the commission had authorised the mapping of additional countries as part of the second phase of Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration. The expansion is being undertaken under the IEBC’s Diaspora Engagement Framework, which covers voter registration, public outreach, voter education and logistical preparations. 

Each country will be treated as a single polling centre, even where more than one diplomatic mission is involved in facilitating the voting process. In the 2022 General Election, Kenyans living abroad voted in Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, South Africa, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

The planned expansion would add 14 countries to the list. Ethekon said the exercise would be limited to Kenyan citizens and conducted through official channels under the supervision of the IEBC.

The expansion is anchored in Article 82(1)(e) of the Constitution, which requires the progressive registration of Kenyan citizens living outside the country and the gradual implementation of their right to vote. Kenya first introduced limited diaspora voting in 2013, with the programme gradually expanded in subsequent elections. The IEBC has, however, faced challenges relating to the scale and cost of providing voting services outside the country.

The next phase, Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration II, is expected to form part of the commission’s preparations for the 2027 election. The IEBC plans to consult Kenyans living abroad and other stakeholders on the arrangements for registration and voting.

The expansion will require the commission to address logistical issues, including staffing, security and infrastructure, as it prepares to provide voting services in the additional countries.