IEBC WIDENS DIASPORA VOTE REACH TO 26 COUNTRIES AHEAD OF 2027 POLLS
IEBC plans to expand diaspora voting from 12 countries in 2022 to 26 countries ahead of Kenya’s 2027 General Election.
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The electoral commission plans to increase access for Kenyans living abroad, expanding coverage from 12 countries in 2022 to 26 for the 2027 General Election.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has announced plans to expand diaspora voter registration and participation to 26 countries ahead of Kenya’s 2027 General Election.
The move will increase the number of countries covered from the 12 that participated in the 2022 polls, widening access for Kenyans living in Africa, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, North America and Australia.
IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon said the commission has approved the mapping of additional countries as part of preparations for the second phase of Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration (ECVR II).
The newly targeted countries include Saudi Arabia, Botswana, Oman, Australia, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Ghana, Italy, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Ireland, Türkiye, Ethiopia, China and Mozambique.
The countries covered during the 2022 General Election were Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, South Africa, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
The IEBC says the expansion is aimed at progressively realising the constitutional right of Kenyans living outside the country to participate in elections. The commission is also targeting more diaspora voters as it prepares for the 2027 polls.
However, the expansion does not mean Kenyans abroad will be allowed to vote online in 2027. IEBC Vice Chairperson Fahima Abdallah has said electronic voting is being considered for future elections, but diaspora voters will continue to cast their ballots physically at designated centres for the 2027 election.
Under the current framework, registered Kenyan voters abroad can participate in presidential elections and national referendums, but not in elections for governors, senators, MPs, women representatives or MCAs.
The expansion is part of wider IEBC preparations for the August 10, 2027 General Election, as the commission seeks to make electoral participation more accessible to Kenyans both at home and abroad.
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Written by Anne Moses
Reporter and staff writer at Getembe News.
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