For an unknown period, Kenyans will not be able to confirm their voter registration details. This is because the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is currently performing system maintenance on its voter verification portal.
Kenyans can verify their voting details electronically via the IEBC web portal. Voters can also complete this process by texting their national ID or passport number, along with their year of birth, to 70000.
However, neither of these verification methods will be available in the interim.
“This essential maintenance is part of ongoing migration to new infrastructure aimed at enhancing service delivery through system performance and security,” IEBC stated in a circular released on Sunday evening.
The commission has assured Kenyans of its data integrity, stating that it remains uncompromised.
“We wish to assure all Kenyans that the registration details of the 22,120,458 registered voters, as recorded during the 2022 General Election, remain intact and secure.”
A huge omission in the announcement is the timeline for when Kenyans can expect the crucial system to be back online. IEBC has not shared a timeline for the system maintenance period.
It only says, “We will promptly communicate once the system is fully operational and ready for verification of voter details.”
The commission’s statement follows public concern after Kenyans noticed the voter verification portal had been offline for an extended period.
So far, IEBC has not provided details regarding when the maintenance process began, its expected duration, the projected completion date, or the specific technologies being updated.
This announcement comes on the eve of expected Saba Saba protests to commemorate the nationwide protests that took place on July 7, 1990.
