Diaspora decries exclusion in voter registration, warns of protests

The Kenya Diaspora Alliance-USA said the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission exclusion of millions of Kenyans living abroad from the enhanced continuous voter registration exercise is unconstitutional, discriminatory, and indefensible.

In a strongly worded statement, KDA-USA accused the IEBC of systematically locking out millions of eligible voters during the voter registration.

“The Constitution of Kenya 2010 is explicit that every citizen, regardless of location, has the right to be registered as a voter and to participate fully in the democratic process. Article 38 guarantees every citizen the right to be registered and to vote in any election or referendum,” the association said.

It added that Article 82(1)(e) requires Parliament to ensure the progressive registration of citizens residing outside Kenya, while Article 83 demands that voter registration arrangements be reasonable and accessible to all citizens.

Additionally, Article 88 obligates IEBC to conduct continuous voter registration and maintain the voter register for every eligible Kenyan.

“The IEBC's decision to exclude the diaspora from voter-registration activities, including the recently concluded enhanced continuous voter registration exercise, is therefore unconstitutional, discriminatory, and indefensible. It is a continuation of a deliberate restriction imposed since the advent of the new constitution in 2010,” the association said.

KDA-USA said the exclusion has continued since 2013, the first election under the 2010 Constitution.

In 2013, only Kenyans in East African countries were allowed to vote, followed by a marginal expansion in 2017.

By 2022, with just over 10,000 diaspora voters registered worldwide, a paltry less than 5,000 voted, they said, representing a microscopic fraction of eligible Kenyans living abroad.

This means that less than one per cent of eligible diaspora citizens are registered to vote and an even smaller number get to cast a ballot. This exposes a long-running pattern of systemic disenfranchisement.

The 2025 diaspora population data indicates that approximately 1,464,676 Kenyans reside abroad, with only 629,688 registered with Kenyan diplomatic missions.

KDA-USA is now demanding immediate rollout of voter registration services across Kenyan missions worldwide. They have also demanded the deployment of mobile registration centres in major diaspora hubs such as the US, Canada, the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Australia.

The group has called on the National Assembly to amend electoral laws to guarantee automatic inclusion of diaspora voters in all registration exercises. It has also asked the House compel the IEBC to publish a binding roadmap for diaspora participation in 2027, and allocate sufficient funding for global electoral operations.

Failure to effected these changes within the 30-day ultimatum, the alliance said it will escalate the matter in court, organise peaceful demonstrations at Kenyan diplomatic missions, and launch coordinated advocacy campaigns across diaspora communities worldwide.

The group has also hinted at leveraging its economic influence. Kenyans abroad remit more than Sh600 billion annually, making diaspora inflows one of the country’s largest sources of foreign exchange.

Against this backdrop, KDA-USA says it may encourage members to “review the timing and channels of remittances as a form of economic expression” if their concerns are not addressed.

On August 28, IEBC announced the resumption of the voter registration would resume, targeting newly eligible youth and unregistered citizens.

However, it clarified that the exercise would not cover Kenyans living abroad or those in correctional facilities, citing “ongoing policy reviews”.

“This change is a vital step for local registration, but diaspora and inmates will be updated once reviews are concluded,” the IEBC said in a statement.

The IEBC has, however, said it is expanding diaspora voter registration to cover an additional 16 countries.

These are Saudi Arabia, Botswana, Oman, Australia, Sweden, Switzerland (Bern), the Netherlands, Ghana, Italy, the DRC, Nigeria, Ireland, Türkiye, Ethiopia, China (Guangzhou) and Mozambique.

IEBC acting CEO Moses Sunkuli said last month that the expansion will target countries with substantial Kenyan populations.

Other than population thresholds, the IEBC will also factor operational feasibility, cost considerations, and the progressive realisation of political rights as provided for in the Constitution.

Following his tour of the US in February, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka said Kenyans in America expressed concerns over difficulties in registering to vote and voting due to limited stations.

“It is unacceptable to expect all Kenyans abroad [US] to travel to Washington to vote,” Kalonzo said.

KDA has previously raised concerns over the vast areas, spanning countries and continents, covered by the missions that act as voting centres.

“Kenyans who wish to vote must travel over long distances and often expensively to register as voters. The Kenyan Embassies and High Commissions earmarked as registration centres are inadequate and logistically challenging for Kenyans who have to travel far and wide to register.

“That in itself negates the spirit and objective of the exercise,” KDA said.

Agnes Gitau, the KDA representative for London, said the system as it is excludes many voters due to logistics.