Shadrack Nyakoe
Incoming Nairobi Governor Hon. Irungu Nyakera has sounded the alarm over the alleged misuse of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission’s (IEBC) open-kit voter registration system, warning that the loophole is being exploited to manipulate voter patterns ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Hon. Nyakera said the system, originally designed to make voter registration more accessible, is now being abused to illegally transfer voters across counties, posing a serious threat to Nairobi’s electoral integrity and disenfranchising genuine city residents.
“Across Nairobi, young people from opposition strongholds are being sponsored to register in far-flung counties such as Garissa,” said Hon. Nyakera. “When election day comes, they will not be facilitated to travel back — meaning their votes are lost both for the gubernatorial and presidential races.”
He further alleged that individuals from government-leaning regions are being registered in Nairobi, with plans already underway to mobilize them as swing voters in 2027.
“These are not rumours. I have credible information to support these claims. IEBC must urgently act by locking or strictly regulating the open-kit feature,” he stated.
Nyakera urged IEBC to require verifiable proof of residence for voters registering outside their home counties and to classify paid voter transfers as an electoral offence.
“To every young voter being paid to register elsewhere — remember, your vote only counts where your life is,” he appealed. “Nairobi’s leadership must be chosen by Nairobi’s rightful voters. Anything less is an assault on democracy.”
