More than 2,000 national identity cards remain uncollected in Juja, Kiambu County, raising concerns that a significant number of eligible youth could miss out on participating in the 2027 General Election.
The unclaimed IDs are largely believed to belong to young people who have yet to complete voter registration, even as the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) recently concluded the first phase of the Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration (ECVR) exercise.
The situation has sparked concern among local leaders, who warn that failure to collect the documents could effectively lock out many first-time voters from exercising their constitutional right.
Leaders allied to the Jubilee Party in Kiambu have called on IEBC to consider extending the registration period, arguing that additional time would allow affected individuals to collect their IDs and register as voters.
County party chairman George Maara and Juja parliamentary aspirant Joseph Gichui expressed concern over delays in ID collection, particularly among young people in the Mt Kenya region. They noted that the issue risks disenfranchising a large segment of the population ahead of the elections.
They emphasized that every Kenyan has a right to vote regardless of political affiliation and urged relevant authorities to ensure equal opportunity for all eligible citizens.
Despite the closure of the mass registration exercise, IEBC has encouraged those who missed out to take advantage of continuous voter registration services available at Huduma Centres, constituency IEBC offices, and the commission’s headquarters in Nairobi.
The final days of the ECVR exercise saw a surge in activity, with registration centres across the country experiencing high turnout as wananchi rushed to beat the deadline. Long queues were witnessed in various centres, reflecting growing interest in the upcoming elections.
Nationally, IEBC reported that over 1.8 million new voters were registered during the exercise, representing about 75 per cent of its 2.5 million target for the first phase. The commission also recorded more than 159,000 voter transfers and several updates to registration details.
The situation in Juja highlights the ongoing challenge of ensuring that eligible voters not only apply for identification documents but also collect them in time to participate in the electoral process.
As the country moves closer to the 2027 polls, stakeholders are now urging young people to take personal responsibility by collecting their IDs and completing their voter registration.
