The government has responded to claims that foreigners and refugees are being issued Identity (ID) Cards to vote in the 2027 elections.
In a TV interview on March 27, Dr. Christopher Wanjau, Secretary of the National Registration Bureau, dismissed the allegations made by some politicians.
Wanjau clarified that while foreigners and refugees are registered, their biometrics are stored in the government’s database.
He emphasized that the government has been collecting data from refugees since 2017 to ensure that only Kenyan citizens are registered and issued with ID cards.
“I am not aware of any forced registration of refugees. What typically happens is that all refugees in the country are registered as ‘refugees,’ and the same applies to foreigners,” he explained.
He further outlined that each ID application is cross-checked against three databases to ensure that no foreigners, refugees, or previously registered individuals are included in the process.
Wanjau noted that this verification process takes about 24 hours and helps ensure only legitimate Kenyan citizens are registered.
“Before any ID application is processed at the production center in Nairobi, we must run it through three databases to verify if the applicant is registered as a refugee, if they are a foreigner, or if they have previously applied for an ID,” he said.
Additionally, Wanjau dismissed the claims that people from border counties could vote in both Kenya and neighboring countries.
He stated that the verification process is thorough, starting at the local level, ensuring that only Kenyan citizens are issued ID cards.
“It is not possible to have cross-border registration because identity verification begins at the local level, such as at the village or sub-location.
The Chief and the applicant’s biological parents must verify and introduce them,” he clarified.
Wanjau also defended Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen’s call for mass registration, explaining that such drives are part of the regular process to ensure that all eligible Kenyans are issued with legal identification documents.
“Every year, we have a target for registering Kenyan citizens. This financial year, our target is to register 2 million Kenyans,” Wanjau stated.
“The mass registration drive launched by CS Murkomen is part of this effort to meet the target.”
The target for this registration includes 1 million new applicants and 1 million replacement ID cards.
From July 1, 2024, to the end of February 2025, the Bureau has registered 1.5 million Kenyans, consisting of approximately 830,000 new applicants and 600,000 duplicates.
Wanjau expressed confidence that the Bureau will exceed this target, particularly due to the removal of application fees and the push from Murkomen’s registration campaign.
“The average waiting time for first-time applicants is currently between 10 and 15 days,” he said.
Finally, Wanjau noted that there are approximately 444,000 uncollected ID cards nationwide, including 155,000 for new applicants and around 280,000 for duplicate cards.
