Registration Drive Falters Amid Public Indifference

NAIROBI – As the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) continues its push to register millions of new voters ahead of the 2027 General Election, officials have voiced growing concern over alarmingly low turnout. While a familiar narrative blaming Kenyans' "last-minute culture" has resurfaced, a deeper analysis of electoral data and expert commentary reveals a more complex picture of systemic voter apathy, particularly among the youth, rooted in economic hardship and a profound trust deficit in the political system.

According to IEBC Commissioner Anne Nderitu, the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise is falling significantly short of its targets. Speaking on Thursday, November 20, 2025, Nderitu revealed that only about 140,000 new voters had been registered, a fraction of the commission's 6.8 million target. She directly attributed the slow pace to a "bad Kenyan culture of waiting until the last minute." Earlier reports from the commission showed similarly modest figures, with 90,020 new voters registered by October 31, 2025.

A Pattern of Declining Participation

The current registration challenges are not an isolated event but rather the continuation of a worrying trend of declining civic engagement. The 2022 General Election recorded the lowest voter turnout in 15 years, with only 65% of the 22.12 million registered voters casting their ballots. This marks a significant drop from 79.51% in 2017 and a high of over 83% in the 2013 elections, according to analysis from political commentators. This sustained decline suggests that the issue is less about timing and more about a growing disillusionment with the electoral process itself.

International and regional election observers have consistently highlighted this trend. The Commonwealth Observer Group, in its final report on the 2022 elections, made recommendations aimed at addressing voter apathy, which they noted was particularly evident among young people. Similarly, Jakaya Kikwete, the former president of Tanzania who led the East African Community (EAC) observer mission, described the low turnout in 2022 as "a matter of concern."

Youth Disenchantment: The Core of the Crisis

At the heart of Kenya's voter apathy crisis is the disengagement of its largest demographic: the youth. Kenyans under 35 make up about 75% of the population, yet their participation in elections is steadily decreasing. In the 2022 election, voters aged 18-34 accounted for just 39.84% of the voter roll, a 5.27 percentage point drop from 2017. The IEBC had aimed to register six million new young voters ahead of the 2022 polls but only managed to enroll 2.5 million.

Experts and civil society groups attribute this youth apathy to several interconnected factors:

• Economic Hardship: High unemployment and the rising cost of living have led many young people to prioritize daily survival over political participation. Governance expert Henry Maina noted that many citizens do not feel that democracy is working for them, a phenomenon he termed a "democracy deficit."
• Lack of Trust: There is a widespread perception that votes do not count and that politicians fail to deliver on their promises. This cynicism is fueled by endemic corruption and a feeling that the political elite are unresponsive to the needs of ordinary citizens. A 2024 Afrobarometer survey indicated that only 36% of Kenyans trust the IEBC.
• Systemic Barriers: Logistical challenges, such as the long distances to the single IEBC office per constituency and delays in issuing National ID cards, also hinder registration efforts.

The Consequences of Apathy

The implications of this growing disengagement are severe. Low voter turnout can undermine the legitimacy of elected officials and lead to a government that is not representative of the broader population's will. When a significant portion of the electorate, especially the youth, opts out, it signals a critical disconnect between the citizenry and the state.

IEBC Chief Executive Officer Marjan Hussein Marjan has urged young people to see voting as a constructive tool for change, stating, "The youth have the power to make meaningful changes in this country through the ballot...instead of resorting to protests." However, until the underlying issues of economic disenfranchisement and the trust deficit are addressed, motivating millions of Kenyans to participate in the democratic process will remain a monumental challenge. While the last-minute rush may be a visible symptom, the disease is a deeper, more troubling apathy.