[PHOTOS] City youth rally Gen Z to enlist as voters

A group of young activists under the banner of the Tuko Kadi movement on Tuesday took to the streets of Nairobi in a peaceful procession, rallying fellow Gen Z Kenyans to register as voters ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Led by founder Allan Ademba, the movement mobilised youth across the capital to enlist during the ongoing Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration (ECVR) exercise spearheaded by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

The procession, marked by chants and placards, underscored a growing push among young people to influence governance through the ballot.

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The initiative aligns with IEBC’s call for citizens to actively sensitise and mobilise their peers, families and communities to participate in the mass registration drive.

The commission launched the ECVR exercise on March 30, 2026, with a 30-day window set to close on April 28.

The nationwide exercise is being conducted across all 1,450 County Assembly Wards, as well as in institutions of higher learning, Huduma Centres, constituency offices, and at the Customer Experience Centre at Anniversary Towers.

It is anchored on the theme, “Deepening Democracy in Kenya Through Inclusive Voter Registration", and targets the enlistment of 2.5 million new voters.

As of April 9, IEBC reported that 875,501 new voters had been registered, signalling steady but still insufficient progress toward the ambitious target.

With just over two weeks remaining, the commission has intensified its appeal for broader public participation.

IEBC chairperson Eratus Ethekon emphasised that the exercise is not limited by geography, noting that citizens can register from any centre nationwide.

“You do not need to travel to your home county to register. The commission has deployed open kits, which allow a citizen to register as a voter from any registration centre and vote at their preferred polling centre across Kenya,” he said.

Ethekon added that already registered voters can also take advantage of the window to transfer their voting stations or update personal details.

The commission has also issued a directive targeting individuals who registered before 2012, urging them to re-register to be included in the current biometric register of voters. Members of Tuko Kadi movement march through the streets of Nairobi to rally Kenyans to come out and register as voters, April 14, 2026. /LEAH MUKANGAI

According to IEBC, early registrations before 2012 predate key electoral reforms introduced after the promulgation of the 2010 constitution, where the biometric voter registration was adopted following enactment of the Elections Act and the 2012 boundaries delimitation.

To streamline the process, IEBC has deployed KIEMS kits to remote villages and marketplaces, ensuring accessibility even in hard-to-reach areas.

Registration requires only a valid national identification card or passport.

Against this backdrop, the Tuko Kadi movement’s grassroots mobilisation reflects a broader shift among Kenya’s youth, who are increasingly positioning themselves as central actors in shaping the country’s democratic trajectory.

By targeting Gen Z—many of whom are first-time voters—the initiative seeks to bridge the gap between eligibility and actual voter participation.

The youth, who comprise 35 per cent of the total national population, are expected to form the largest voting bloc in the forthcoming elections.

Ethekon urged Kenyans who are yet to register as voters not to wait until the final days of the exercise.

“Kenyans are urged to present themselves at the nearest registration centres at the earliest opportunity and to avoid waiting until the final days of the exercise. Together, let us strengthen our democracy through active, informed, and inclusive participation,” he said.

As of the 2022 General Election, Kenya’s voter register stood at 22,120,458, a figure the commission aims to significantly grow ahead of the next polls.

With time running out, youth-led efforts such as Tuko Kadi may prove pivotal in determining whether IEBC meets its registration targets.