IEBC chairman Erastus Ethekon joins other leaders and the National Cohesion and Integration Commission during the launch of the 2027 Roadmap to a Violence-Free General Election on August 25, 2026The electoral commission has expanded diaspora voter registration from 12 to 26 countries ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The move marks the biggest increase in overseas voting access since Kenyans abroad first participated in presidential elections in 2013.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) announced the expansion in its latest communication on electoral preparedness.
“The commission is also expanding voter registration for citizens residing outside Kenya from 12 to 26 countries, advancing the progressive constitutional right of eligible Kenyans residing outside the country to participate in elections,” the IEBC said.
The commission said it is targeting a record 28.5 million registered voters, up from 22.1 million in the 2022 General Election.
As of August 20, 2026, the IEBC said 2,936,516 Kenyans had registered as voters since the launch of Continuous Voter Registration in September last year.
This figure excludes Kenyans in the diaspora, who were not included in the latest voter registration exercise.
The IEBC Gazette Notice of March 27, which announced the Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration exercise from March 30 to April 28, stated that the commission would issue a separate notice on voter registration for citizens residing outside Kenya and prisoners.
In April, IEBC officials told Parliament that the commission had not begun diaspora voter education and registration because of funding constraints.
Then acting CEO Ledama Sunkuli said the IEBC had requested additional funding, while Deputy CEO Ruth Kulundu said the commission hoped to receive funds from July to begin voter education, followed by registration.
The decision to expand voting to 26 countries comes after years of complaints from Kenyans in the diaspora that millions had been excluded from participating in elections because of limited registration and polling centres.
At a meeting on Monday with presidential aspirant David Maraga, some representatives of the Kenyan diaspora raised concerns about the marginalisation of diaspora voters.
According to Maraga, they cited difficult voter registration processes and limited access to polling stations.
“In response, I pledged to address their concerns on voter registration through the recently formed People’s Forum for Electoral Preparedness,” he said.
In the 2022 General Election, diaspora voting was conducted in only 12 countries across East Africa, Southern Africa, Europe, North America and the Middle East.
The countries included Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, South Africa, the US, the UK, Canada, Germany, Qatar and the UAE.
The limited geographical coverage meant thousands of Kenyans living in other regions had to travel long distances to register and vote or were unable to participate altogether.
The expansion will add 14 more countries, significantly widening access for Kenyans living in Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia.
Attempts to obtain the official list of the additional registration stations were unsuccessful, as the commission had not released it by the time of going to press.
However, some of the countries previously mentioned by the IEBC include Saudi Arabia, Botswana, Oman, Australia, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Ghana, Italy, the DRC, Nigeria, Ireland, Türkiye, Ethiopia, China and Mozambique.
However, diaspora voting remains limited in scope.
Under Kenya’s current electoral framework, registered voters living abroad can only participate in presidential elections and national referendums. They do not vote for governors, senators, MPs, woman representatives or MCAs.
Diaspora organisations have often argued that political participation has not kept pace with the growing economic and social contribution of Kenyans living overseas.
During preparations for the 2022 General Election, diaspora leaders repeatedly accused the IEBC of failing to fully realise the constitutional right of citizens living abroad to vote under Article 82.
They cited logistical delays, inadequate registration periods and the high cost of travelling to embassies and high commissions designated as registration centres.
By early February 2022, the IEBC had registered only 2,959 new diaspora voters across the 12 countries before extending the registration exercise following logistical delays.
Eventually, about 10,443 Kenyans living abroad were registered to vote in 2022.
The constitution requires Parliament and electoral institutions to progressively realise the voting rights of Kenyans residing outside the country. Successive IEBC commissions have adopted a gradual approach, expanding participation in phases rather than opening voting globally at once.
The IEBC has defended the phased rollout by pointing to the logistical and administrative demands of conducting elections outside Kenya, including the availability of diplomatic missions, biometric registration equipment, election personnel and secure polling infrastructure.
