Wamuzi News Ke
In a landmark move poised to transform youth participation in Kenya’s democracy, Parliament’s Budget and Appropriations Committee has given the green light to provisions ensuring that students who turn 18 while still in school will automatically be issued national identity cards and registered as voters.
The proposed Registration of Persons (Amendment) Bill, 2024, sponsored by Kipipiri MP Wanjiku Muhia, would compel schools and the National Registration Bureau (NRB) to coordinate to register learners within 30 days of their 18th birthday.
Bill Aimed at Curbing Voter Registration Gaps.
Current law obliges citizens to personally present themselves to a registration officer within 90 days of turning 18, with noncompliance considered an offense. The changes seek to reverse low youth voter turnout and cut registration costs.
Baringo Women Representative Florence Jematiah urged the committee to extend the proposals to fully synchronize ID issuance and voter registration before students graduate from secondary school.
She argued such alignment would ease burdens on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). Committee Chair Samuel Atandi confirmed the bill has passed the money bill test and will now advance through the standard House procedures.
Financial and Logistical Challenges.
The Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) projected implementation costs at KSh 451.5 million in year one, rising to KSh 497.9 million by year three. Under the calibrated model, each of Kenya’s 10,752 secondary schools would be visited monthly by two registration officers funded with per diem support.
Currently, county registration bureaus receive only KSh 100,000 per quarter—insufficient for large-scale school registration drives. Muhia affirmed he would consider further amendment proposals, especially to address concerns over cost, logistics, and synchronizing ID issuance with electoral registration.
Implications for Youth, Democracy, and Electoral Integrity.
If enacted, the reforms would give millions of young Kenyans seamless access to voter registration at the moment they become eligible, reducing barriers that exclude them. The automatic registration concept mirrors global practices, where interaction with civil agencies can trigger voter registration.
Proponents say the scheme could dramatically boost youth participation and accuracy in voter rolls. Critics warn of logistical strain, data inaccuracies, and the need for strong safeguards.
“One of the biggest hurdles has always been cost and access—this bill attempts to remove those barriers. But the real test will be execution,” said a civil society leader familiar with electoral reforms.
