This archive report was first published on 26 September 2021.
Kenya's democracy is at a crossroads as the country prepares for the 2022 General Election. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has announced that mass voter registration will begin on October 4, but the exercise is threatened by a Sh14 billion funding gap.
Eleven years ago, Kenyans declared that all sovereign power belongs to the people, and that this power is exercised in a multi-party democratic state founded on the values of human rights, national unity, non-discrimination, and inclusion. The Elections Act requires the IEBC to keep and publicly make available a comprehensive voter register, continuously register voters upon request, and ensure that any citizen older than 18 years with a national identity card or passport can vote.
However, the IEBC's capacity to hold this aspiration for 47 million Kenyans has been undermined by deliberate underfunding and under-prioritization by the Executive, as well as consistent interference by politicians. The Government has made it clear that available external funding to the commission and NGOs will not be welcome, and the National Assembly has been reluctant to cap or disclose campaign financing contributions.
The lack of continuous voter education programme by the commission and non-state actors leaves the voter vulnerable to vote bribery, intimidation, violence, and false promises. Unless these trends are reversed or interrupted, Kenya is at risk of a national crisis that could impact the quality of voting and leave seven million potential voters vulnerable to vote bribery and intimidation.
It is imperative that society-wide campaigns are launched to focus seven million minds on registering to vote. We must avoid partisan registration based on ethnic, geographical, and party profiling, and protect the privacy of voter data. The Executive must find the money to fund the IEBC, and the National Assembly must take responsibility for ensuring that the commission has the resources it needs to conduct a free and fair election.
