The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is seeking to expand voting for Kenyans living and working abroad as part of efforts to increase diaspora participation in the 2027 General Election.

Speaking in New York, United States of America, during a Presidential engagement with Kenyans in the USA, IEBC Vice Chairperson Fahima Abdalla reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to ensuring more Kenyans in the diaspora can exercise their democratic right to vote.

Abdalla said the commission is keen to expand diaspora voting beyond the current 12 countries where the exercise was conducted during the 2022 General Election.

In 2022, the Commission conducted diaspora voting in Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Africa, South Sudan, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Germany, and Canada.

The proposed additional countries are Saudi Arabia, Botswana, Oman, Australia, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Ghana, Italy, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Nigeria, Ireland, Türkiye, Ethiopia, China, and Mozambique.

“We have been talking about extending voting areas here in the diaspora. Kenyans, we must be empowered; the law as it is says elections can only happen on Kenyan soil, and that means our Kenya missions here,” stated the IEBC Vice Chairperson Abdalla.

She further affirmed that the commission will work with other agencies to enable Kenyans in the diaspora to exercise their democratic right while in the diaspora.

The Vice Chairperson said the commission is also adopting technology to enable Kenyans in the diaspora to vote electronically, a move aimed at reducing operational costs and increasing participation in general elections.

“We want to enhance the technology to a point where, in future, if God allows us, maybe not this coming election, but maybe before we leave the commission in 2031. We shall have the diaspora doing e-voting, so you can vote in the comfort of your place,” disclosed Abdalla amid applause from the participants.

IEBC is racing against time to finalize preparations for the 2027 General Election, targeting a voter register of about 28.5 million and assuring Kenyans that the polls will be credible, transparent and verifiable.

The Commission published Notice No. 13497 in the Kenya Gazette, Vol. CXXVIII – No. 144, on August 20, 2026. The notice marks the commencement of the election period and the coming into force of two key legal instruments for the August 10, 2027 General Election: the Electoral Code of Conduct and the Election Offences Act.

To ensure a credible and inclusive election, the IEBC has developed a robust Election Operations Plan and a Strategic Plan for 2024–2029, which will serve as a roadmap for the Commission’s activities in the run-up to the 2027 General Election.

In the 2022 General Election, Kenya had 22.1 million registered voters. For the 2027 General Election, the IEBC projects a register of approximately 28.5 million voters.

The Commission is also expanding voter registration for Kenyans living abroad from 12 to 26 countries, advancing the progressive constitutional right of eligible citizens residing outside the country to participate in elections.

The IEBC is leveraging biometric technology for voter registration and verification to strengthen the integrity of the voters’ register, enabling voters to inspect and verify their biometric data ahead of Election Day.

By Sadik Hassan