The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) will announce the official timelines for the resumption of continuous voter registration in August 2025, Chairperson Erastus Edung Ethekon has confirmed.

Speaking to the media, Ethekon said the Commission is finalizing internal processes and will issue a gazette notice next month to kick-start the registration of eligible Kenyans.

He said voter registration has become a priority for the Commission following growing pressure from the youth and the political class over the past two years.

“Over the past two years, IEBC has taken note of the sustained demand, particularly from Kenya’s youth and the political class, on the resumption of voter registration and updating of the register,” he said.

He noted that this pressure reflects strong civic interest, especially from first-time voters who want to take part in the democratic process and shape the country’s future.

“We hear the voices of young Kenyans demanding the opportunity to be counted and to be actively involved in this democratic process of rebuilding our country Kenya,” Ethekon said.

According to the chairperson, the absence of a fully constituted Commission after the 2022 general election delayed the process. Although the Secretariat had laid some groundwork, the law requires that only a properly constituted Commission can make decisions related to the resumption of voter registration.

Ethekon stressed that the credibility of elections begins with a reliable register.

“A clean and inclusive register is not merely administrative. It is the foundation of free, fair and transparent elections,” he said.

He added that Article 88 of the Constitution provides for the continuous registration of all eligible Kenyans and regular updates to the voters’ roll.

The last registration process was halted through a gazette notice to allow the preparation and certification of the 2022 election register.

After the election, the absence of commissioners made it legally difficult to resume voter registration. “In our absence, therefore, the Secretariat could not do much other than to wait until when the Commission is duly constituted, which we are now,” Ethekon said.

The IEBC has now resumed full operations and is preparing to roll out the registration plan, which will be shared publicly once approved. “We’ll share with you our plan once we approve and gazette it and communicate it again through the media,” he said.

Ethekon encouraged the public to remain engaged as the Commission moves to open up the electoral space to more citizens.

“The Commission therefore encourages continued civic engagement, and we pledge to keep all stakeholders informed as these developments unfold,” he said.