The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has intensified its voter registration drive at the ongoing People’s Dialogue Festival at Uhuru Park, as concerns grow over low youth participation in the exercise.
Speaking during the festival ON Wednesday, IEBC Chair Erastus Ethekon disclosed that since the commission launched its nationwide voter registration on September 29 last year, only 216,000 Kenyans have registered. Of that number, just 30,000 are young people.
“I want to know what the People’s Dialogue is all about and what is being discussed and the kind of people who attend it,” Ethekon said.
“And more importantly, for me to network and to get to know the people, particularly the young people, and to ask them why.”
Youth Apathy Worries Electoral Body
The IEBC chair did not hide his concern over what he described as a worrying trend of youth staying away from the voter roll.
“Out of the 216,000 people registered countrywide, do you want to know the number of young people who have registered so far? 30,000 only,” he revealed.
“So I’m here to know why young people are staying away from registration.”
Kenya has one of the youngest populations in Africa, with youth forming a significant voting bloc capable of shaping electoral outcomes.
However, low registration numbers among first-time voters threaten to reduce their influence in future elections.
The People’s Dialogue Festival, organized by the Centre for Multiparty Democracy (CMD-Kenya), is widely regarded as Kenya’s flagship civic engagement forum.
It brings together citizens, political leaders, civil society groups and state institutions to discuss governance, accountability and democratic development.
The IEBC’s presence at the event signals a strategic shift toward meeting young people where they are, in civic spaces that encourage open dialogue and participation.
On-Site Voter Registration
Throughout the festival, IEBC officials are conducting on-site voter registration, targeting young and first-time voters attending the event.
The commission hopes that direct engagement, coupled with dialogue around governance and democracy, will encourage more youth to enlist as voters.
As the country gears up for the 2027 electoral cycles, the IEBC’s renewed push underscores the critical role of youth in strengthening democratic participation and ensuring inclusive representation.
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