The Elections Observation Group (ELOG) has urged the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to provide clarity on how iris scan data collected during the ongoing voter registration exercise will be stored and utilized.
In a statement released on Wednesday assessing the first week of the registration drive, ELOG welcomed the introduction of iris scans as an additional biometric identifier, noting that it could strengthen voter verification. However, the group cautioned that the new technology raises valid public concerns over privacy and data protection.
“ELOG urges IEBC to provide clear information on how iris data will be securely stored and used in compliance with the Data Protection Act,” the group said. It also demanded that IEBC disclose whether a data protection impact assessment was conducted before rolling out the new system and clarify whether any third parties will have access to the collected data.
IEBC is currently registering new voters across 278 constituencies, excluding areas preparing for upcoming by-elections. According to the commission, 7,048 new voters were registered during the first week, alongside 259 voter transfers and eight updates of existing voter details.
ELOG described the progress as a “positive start” but noted that the numbers represent only 0.11 percent of the national target of 6.3 million new voters. The group called for intensified civic mobilization, particularly in rural and marginalized areas.
Urban counties led in registration numbers, with Nairobi (1,597), Mombasa (556), Kiambu (386), Kisii (312), and Machakos (260) recording the highest tallies. In contrast, Lamu (17), Samburu (18), Tana River (21), and Nyamira (10) registered the lowest figures.
ELOG also highlighted limited public awareness of the registration exercise, which is currently limited to constituency offices. The observer group urged IEBC to boost public communication through traditional and digital platforms and to publish weekly county-level registration updates to enhance transparency and accountability.
