Kenya is taking steps to ensure that every student turning 18 while still in school receives a national ID and is registered as a voter, a move designed to simplify voter enrollment and reduce administrative costs.
The Registration of Persons (Amendment) Bill, 2024, recently cleared by the Budget and Appropriations Committee, seeks to capture eligible young adults before they complete secondary education.
The committee, led by Alego Usonga MP Samuel Atandi, approved the publication of the Bill, which requires schools to register students who reach the age of 18.
Additional changes are being considered to synchronize the issuance of IDs with voter registration, allowing students to fully participate in elections immediately.
Baringo Women Representative Florence Jematiah questioned the committee, saying, “To cure low registration of voters, why don’t you amend the Bill further to synchronise issuance of IDs to students and registration as voters?”
She added, “This will help the country and especially the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), to cut costs of voter registration.”
The Bill, sponsored by Kipipiri MP Wanjiku Muhia, proposes amendments to the Registration of Persons Act, CAP 107. Once enacted, schools will have 30 days to register any student who turns 18. Currently, individuals are required to report to a registration officer within 90 days of their birthday, and failure to do so is an offence.
Muhia highlighted the benefits, saying, “Currently, the National Registration Bureau usually conducts registration of students in high school in an exercise conducted in conjunction with the school management. Ensuring that secondary students are registered for national ID cards offers several benefits, both for the students and the nation.”
He added, “It empowers students with legal recognition and access to various government services, including application for scholarships, and participation in national processes such as voter registration.”
Atandi encouraged further proposals to address Jematiah’s concerns before the Bill is published.
“Ours as a committee was to check whether it was a money Bill, and it has passed that criterion. The Bill will now undergo the normal Parliamentary processes as others when being considered by the House,” he explained.
The Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) estimates that rolling out the law will cost Sh451.5 million in its first year, rising to Sh474.1 million in year two, and Sh497.9 million in year three. County Registration Bureaus currently receive only Sh100,000 per quarter to support registration activities.
Muhia noted, “It is observed that currently the County Registration officers do extend such services of registering students in schools, though under strained financial resources due to limited funding. I am not opposed to the proposal that we synchronise the issuance of IDs and voter registration. I will consider further amendments.”
The PBO calculations assume that National Registration Bureau staff will visit all 10,752 secondary schools monthly to register eligible students.
Each school will have two officers, each receiving Sh3,000 for one-day exercises to cover meals, transport, and other basic costs. Registration will take place during the seven-month academic calendar.
The Bill is being introduced as the IEBC continues its nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, which has so far seen low turnout in rural and smaller counties.
Nairobi leads with 1,597 new registrations and 42 transfers, while counties such as Nyamira (10), Lamu (1), Tharaka Nithi (24), Embu (71), Tana River (21), and Isiolo (34) have reported very few new voters. Since the CVR began on September 29, the Commission says 7,048 new voters have been registered, 259 have transferred, and eight have updated their personal information.
IEBC Chairperson Edung Ethekon stressed, “Every eligible Kenyan should have a fair and equal opportunity to register as a voter and exercise their democratic right. The registration exercise is accessible, transparent, and efficient across the country.”