The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has issued a strong warning to the public against double voter registrations as the country gears toward by-elections.
In a statement issued on Thursday, November 20, the IEBC chairperson, Erastus Ethekon, warned that any person found to have registered more than once will face severe legal consequences. He explained that double registration is one of the serious electoral offences and will not be taken lightly.
Ethekon clarified that the Commission has migrated to digital registration systems, which detect and delete double entries at once.
“Double registration is an electoral offence. Our system will definitely flag anyone who tries to register more than once,” he said.
He also called on Kenyans to give correct information during the voter registration exercise, cautioning that provision of wrong details compromises the credibility of the entire election process.
“We urge the public to avoid submitting incorrect information during registration,” he added.
His remarks come in the wake of reports that some politicians allegedly try to rig the by-elections by encouraging double registration or falsifying the details of registered voters.
The law stipulates a fine of up to Ksh1 million or imprisonment of at least one year or both for anyone found guilty of double registration or providing false information.
The Electoral Offences Act of 2016 and the Elections Act of 2011 also detail other serious offences like bribery, violence, impersonation, and tampering with ballot papers, which attract a fine of up to Ksh2 million or a jail term of up to six years.
Other offences include tampering with the secrecy of a voter, forging or destroying ballot papers, and unlawful participation in elections by public officers.
IEBC’s warning comes just days before the highly anticipated by-elections scheduled for November 27, 2025.
