Kenyans Abroad to Vote Manually in 2027 as IEBC Rules Out E-Voting

Kenya’s electoral commission has said citizens living abroad will not be able to vote electronically before 2032, meaning diaspora voters will continue to cast ballots physically in the 2027 General Election.

Speaking in New York, Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Vice Chair Fahima Abdallah said the commission was working on technological reforms but that current laws limit diaspora voting to physical polling stations at diplomatic missions. She said the commission hoped to develop e-voting in the longer term, potentially by the time the current commission leaves office in 2031.

For the 2027 General Election, Kenyans abroad will therefore continue to vote manually at embassies, high commissions and consulates. IEBC Commissioner Alutalala Mukhwana said the number of countries approved for diaspora registration and voting would increase from 12 to 26, based on population concentrations and demand.

However, diaspora voters will remain eligible to participate only in presidential elections and national referendums. They will not vote for constituency or county representatives.

Advocates for greater diaspora participation say reforms should be introduced before 2027. Danson Mukile, who leads the Diaspora Technical Working Group, has called for changes to the electoral system, citing thousands of Kenyans abroad who remain excluded by limited registration opportunities.

Mukile and his team have previously petitioned Parliament to amend the Elections Act. Their proposals include the use of mobile consulates and wider access to polling stations for Kenyans living abroad.

Kenya’s approach differs from that of countries such as Estonia and Switzerland, which allow some citizens living overseas to vote online. In Africa, electronic voting remains limited. Namibia has used electronic voting machines for domestic elections, but no African country has extended electronic voting to its diaspora.

Most African countries continue to require citizens living abroad to vote physically at diplomatic missions. Kenya is expected to retain this system for the 2027 election. Although expanding diaspora voting to 26 countries would increase access, voters in countries without nearby polling facilities will continue to face the costs and practical difficulties of travelling to diplomatic missions.