Community-based organisations (CBOs), self-help groups and other bodies representing youth, women, persons with disabilities (PWDs) and ethnic minorities in Kiambu County have been urged to get their registration documents in order.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) plans to strengthen the involvement of marginalized communities in electoral activities.

IEBC has asked registered state and non-state organisations serving marginalised communities to sign up with their county offices by 5 pm on October 30, 2026.

Organisations that register will be able to partner with the Commission in reaching the people they serve.

The Commission said the initiative is part of wider efforts to promote inclusion and participation of ethnic minorities and other marginalized groups throughout the electoral cycle.

Organisations that wish to take part must provide their registration certificate, KRA PIN certificate, category of organisation, contact details, physical address and county of operation.

Once registered, each category of organisation will appoint team leaders under the guidance of IEBC County Election Managers.

IEBC says the county-level structures are meant to improve coordination and engagement with marginalised groups.

According to guidelines from the Social Services office in Kiambu, a new self-help group or CBO must present a current constitution, a membership list of at least 10 people, registration minutes, copies of members’ identification documents, a group email address and a completed registration form.

Registration certificates cost Sh1,050 for self-help groups and Sh5,050 for CBOs, according to the Social Services office. Membership cards for self-help groups cost Sh100 each.

Self-help groups and CBOs that wish to renew or replace their certificates must submit an updated constitution, minutes authorizing the renewal or replacement, an updated membership list, copies of members’ identification documents, a group email address and a completed renewal form.

In April, IEBC held a stakeholder forum in Kiambu Town that brought together women, PWDs and registration officials. It discussed measures to make voter registration and polling services more accessible to people with disabilities, ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Kiambu Constituency Registration Officer Beatrice Muli said that IEBC had moved away from office-based registration towards a community-centred approach.

She assured PWDs that officers would be available near polling stations, saying they “will find IEBC officers within the vicinity.”

Muli also urged women leaders in Kiambu to encourage civic participation in their households and community groups and asked parents to remind young people to register and vote.

Nationally, IEBC has linked a rise in new voters to the wider availability of registration points, including Huduma Centres, learning institutions, constituency offices and for mobile registration teams will be sent to remote and underserved area

Community groups are seen as a link between electoral bodies and residents who are hard to reach through conventional channels. Registered organisations in Kiambu are expected to support civic education and mobilization in their own communities.

Organisations interested in partnering with IEBC should submit their documents to the Commission’s county office before the October 30 deadline. Groups with expired certificates should renew them through the Social Services office without delay.

by Winjoy Makena and Grace Naishoo