By Brian Kiprono - Reporter
Kenya, 4 April 2026 - The electoral commission has moved to calm growing concern among voters, clarifying that Kenyans who registered before 2012 are not automatically required to sign up again.
In a statement, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) said only those who were not captured under the biometric system introduced in 2012 need to register afresh.
“Not at all unless they did not register as voters from 2012 when the new Register of Voters was established,” the Commission said.
The clarification follows confusion among some long-time voters who were unsure whether earlier registration records were still valid.
IEBC explained that the 2012 transition marked a major shift from a manual voter register to a biometric system, where eligible voters were required to enrol and have their fingerprints and personal data captured.
“Before 2012, the register was manual. In 2012, it went biometric and all eligible Kenyans were required to enrol,” the Commission noted.
That biometric register has remained in use since 2013 and continues to form the basis of Kenya’s electoral roll, undergoing periodic audits and updates.
“As of the 2022 General Election, the Commission maintained an accurate and audited register comprising 22,120,458 voters,” IEBC said.
More from Kenya
The Commission emphasised that it has not issued any directive requiring all pre-2012 voters to re-register, stressing that only those who missed the biometric enrolment and have never updated their details are affected.
“We have not asked all old voters pre-2012 to register afresh, just those few who might have missed… and have never registered under the biometric system,” it added.
IEBC urged the public to rely on official communication to avoid misinformation, assuring Kenyans that there is no cause for alarm.
“No panic… Hapa kazi tu!” the Commission said.
IEBC Clears Confusion Over Voter Re-Registration Rules
IEBC explains biometric register rules for Kenyans registered before 2012