Editor's Review

West Pokot had more new registered voters than Kirinyaga, Tharaka Nithi, Nyamira, Vihiga and Kwale Counties.

On Thursday, April 30, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) released a breakdown of the number of new registered voters by county at the end of the mass voter registration exercise.

IEBC revealed that it enrolled a total of 2,345,476 new voters in the exercise that concluded on April 28.

Nairobi County emerged top, with 276,886 new voters, accounting for 11.8 percent of the total number of new registered voters.

Kiambu and Nakuru Counties are the only other devolved units that crossed the 100,000 mark, posting 128,859 and 102,207 new enrolled voters, respectively.

Kakamega came in fourth with 93,858 new voters, while Machakos County closed the top five with 84,198.

A file photo of IEBC Commissioners during a press conference.

The five counties with the fewest number of enrolled voters were Lamu (9,481), Isiolo (10,632), Mandera (18,214), Samburu (19,418) and Nyandarua (20,467).

Counties from Kenya's North Western region, the region around Lake Turkana, recorded surprisingly high numbers.

Turkana County recorded 58,428 newly registered voters, beating more populated counties like Mombasa (51,286), Nyeri (46,552), Murang'a (49,791), Kericho (52,290) and Kisumu (45,280).

There were more new registered voters in West Pokot (39,605) than in Kirinyaga (36,617), Embu (22,999), Tharaka Nithi (26,284), Kwale (29,375), Nyamira (24,502), and Vihiga Counties.

IEBC urged voters to confirm their registration status through the verification portal. However, it stated that some voters may experience challenges in the process.

"The Commission notes that the verification process may, in some instances, take slightly longer due to rigorous, multi-layered validation processes, including biometric verification, de-duplication and comprehensive data integrity checks," the statement read in part.

Chairperson Erastus Ethekon explained that the checks are meant to ensure the accuracy and credibility of the Register of Voters.
He added that a credible Voter Register is fundamental to conducting a free, fair and credible General Election in 2027.