IEBC vice chairperson Fahima AbdallahIndependent Electoral and Boundaries Commission vice chairperson Fahima Abdallah told Kenyans in New York the commission would work with relevant institutions to overcome the legal and technological hurdles standing in the way of online voting.
The aim is to allow Kenyans abroad to participate in elections without having to travel to Kenyan embassies or returning home.
Abdallah said the commission was progressively expanding access to voting for Kenyans in the diaspora while investing in technology to increase electoral participation.
She, however, said electronic voting will not be possible in the 2027 general election. This means Kenyans abroad will still be required to cast their ballots physically at designated polling centres, usually diplomatic missions.
“The law as it is says that elections can only be done on Kenyan soil. That means in Kenyan missions abroad,” Abdallah said.
She said the commission will work with other institutions to address the legal and technological requirements needed to make electronic diaspora voting possible.
“We want to enhance the technology to a point where in future, although not in this coming election, maybe before we leave the commission in 2031, that we shall be able to have the diaspora have e-voting,” Abdallah said.
If implemented, the move would mark a significant departure from the current arrangement whereby Kenyans in diaspora must travel to designated Kenyan diplomatic missions to vote.
For the 2027 election, however, the IEBC is focusing on increasing the diaspora polling centres to ensure more Kenyans are included in the process.
Kenyans abroad have complained
that those who live far from the capitals, where diplomatic missions are located,
face considerable logistical and financial challenges in accessing polling
stations.
The Constitution provides for the progressive realisation of the voting rights of citizens living abroad.
Article 82(1)(e) requires Parliament to enact legislation providing for “the progressive registration of citizens residing outside Kenya, and the progressive realisation of their right to vote.”
This obligation is reinforced by Article 38, which guarantees every adult citizen the right to vote without unreasonable restrictions, while Article 83(3) requires administrative arrangements for voter registration and elections to facilitate an eligible citizen’s right to vote.
The commission has already expanded the number of countries covered by diaspora voter registration from 12 to 26 in the 2027 election.
The new countries include Saudi Arabia, Botswana, Oman, Australia, Sweden, Switzerland, Netherlands, Ghana, Italy, the DRC, Nigeria, Ireland, Türkiye, Ethiopia, China and Mozambique.
In the 2022 elections, diaspora voting was conducted in just 12 countries — Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, South Africa, the US, the UK, Canada, Germany, Qatar and the UAE.
Abdallah said the commission is leveraging technology to enhance the voter experience of the diaspora and strengthen the efficiency, accuracy and accountability of electoral processes.
She said the commission is exploring ways to expand access to voting beyond the current arrangements and make electoral services more inclusive, particularly in countries with significant populations of Kenyan voters.
“The initiative underscores the commission’s commitment to harnessing technology and innovation to make electoral processes accessible, efficient and responsive to the needs of Kenyans,” she said.
Despite the expansion, diaspora voting remains restricted in scope.
Under the current framework, registered Kenyans living abroad can vote only in presidential elections and national referendums.
They cannot participate in elections for governors, senators, MPs, women reps or MCAs.
The push for electronic voting also comes amid efforts to widen participation among Kenyans abroad ahead of the 2027 election.
The proposal is also emerging as part of a wider political debate on diaspora voting reform.
Former Chief Justice David Maraga, who is seeking the presidency in 2027, has separately called for changes to the Elections Act to allow Kenyans abroad to vote electronically.
“We are demanding an amendment to the Elections Act to provide for electronic voting for diaspora because that is the voting system we eventually want to have in place,” Maraga told Kenyans in Maryland.
