Transparent International demands removal of dead voters from IEBC register

Transparency International Kenya has urged the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to conduct a comprehensive review of the national voter register and eliminate the names of deceased voters prior to the 2027 General Election. TI Kenya's Executive Director, Sheila Masinde, made these remarks in an interview on August 10, 2026.

Masinde emphasized that concerns over the integrity of the voter register have been a recurring issue in past elections and have been raised in various election petitions. She stressed that cleaning the register should be a top priority before the upcoming General Election, stating that the presence of deceased voters in the register undermines public trust.

Masinde also suggested integrating the voter register with data from the Civil Registration Services to facilitate more efficient updates. The non-profit organization, along with its partners, has developed a "10 minimum reform agenda" based on scientific principles, drawing from lessons learned from previous elections and observations made during recent by-elections.

These reforms are intended to be discussed with key stakeholders, including Parliament, within the next six to nine months to allow for any necessary adjustments to the Elections Act and related regulations before the year's end. Other issues TI Kenya has identified for consideration include election results management, electoral violence and insecurity, enforcing sanctions for electoral offenses, campaign financing, voter bribery, and the misuse of public resources.

Masinde highlighted that TI Kenya has not only pinpointed challenges but has also offered solutions, timelines, and designated responsible parties for the implementation of these reforms. The demand for reforms comes as the IEBC continues its preparations for the 2027 General Election. In April 2026, the commission announced the completion of its Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration Phase I, which registered 2,345,476 new voters between March 30 and April 28, 2026.

This brought the total number of newly registered voters since continuous registration began in September 2025 to 2,612,725. IEBC Chairperson Erasmus Ethung’ Ethekon expressed gratitude to Kenyans and stakeholders for their participation, emphasizing that it laid the groundwork for a fair and credible 2027 election. Masinde reiterated that the remaining reforms should be addressed according to the schedule outlined in the reform agenda as stakeholders gear up for the next election.