By Ongaga Ongaga
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has moved to reassure Kenyans over the safety and integrity of the country’s voter register.
The Commission defended its collaboration with State agencies in the management and verification of voter data.
In a press release issued Monday, the Commission said it had noted “with concern” recent statements by the Democratic Party (DP) regarding IEBC’s engagement with the National Registration Bureau on voter registration data and identity verification.
IEBC emphasized that its actions are firmly grounded in law, citing Article 88(4) of the Constitution and provisions of the Elections Act, 2011, which mandate the Commission to register voters and maintain an accurate, up-to-date register.
“In fulfilling this constitutional and statutory mandate, the Commission requires to work with relevant government agencies that are the lawful custodians of lawful and relevant data to the execution of its mandate,” the statement read.
The Commission outlined ongoing collaboration with several government entities to strengthen the credibility of the voter roll.
These include the National Registration Bureau for verification of national identity card details, Civil Registration Services to confirm death records for the removal of deceased persons from the register, and the Directorate of Immigration Services to authenticate passport details—particularly for Kenyans living abroad.
According to IEBC, such inter-agency collaboration is standard practice globally and is limited strictly to lawful purposes such as identity verification, compliance, and fraud prevention.
“Public agencies routinely enter into controlled data-sharing arrangements… for lawful service delivery, verification, and integrity purposes,” the Commission stated.
IEBC further disclosed that it has been engaging the State Department for Immigration and Citizen Services to establish a secure Application Programming Interface (API) linked to the Integrated Population Registration System (IPRS).
The system, it said, will ensure that only legitimate national identification and passport numbers are used in voter registration.
“The register of voters remains exclusively under the custody and control of the Commission,” IEBC affirmed.
The electoral body added that voter data protection is anchored in multiple legal frameworks, including the Constitution, the Elections Act, the Elections (Registration of Voters) Regulations, 2012, and the Data Protection Act, 2019.
At the same time, the Commission urged political actors to avoid what it termed unverified and inflammatory claims.
“We urge stakeholders, especially political actors, to refrain from uncorroborated, inflammatory and divisive statements that not only undermine the integrity of electoral processes, but also the independence of the Commission.”
IEBC said it remains open to clarifying any issues relating to electoral processes as preparations continue to safeguard credible and transparent elections.