Why most Kenyans have not registered as voters

By Newsflash Reporter

A lack of national identity cards, limited interest in politics and time constraints are the main reasons many Kenyans have yet to register as voters ahead of the 2027 General Election, a new TIFA survey has found.

The poll also shows that a significant number of Kenyans remain detached from political parties, citing disillusionment and a wait-and-see attitude before committing to any outfit.

According to the survey, released on Friday, July 24th, 37 per cent of unregistered respondents blamed their status on the lack of a national identity card or other required documents. Another 22 per cent said they had no time to register, while an equal 22 per cent admitted they had little interest in voting or politics.

Other reasons included seven per cent who were unaware of voter registration exercises, five per cent who cited administrative challenges during registration, four per cent who said registration centres were too far or inaccessible and 1 per cent who lacked faith in election results.

Among young people aged 18 to 24 years, the lack of a national ID was particularly pronounced, with 50 per cent citing it as the main obstacle compared to only 11 per cent among respondents aged 45 years and above.

“The main reason for this lower proportion among the youngest cohort is the lack of a National ID (or other suitable document),” TIFA noted.

Political parties struggle to attract support

The survey also found that 28 per cent of Kenyans do not identify with or support any political party despite the country being just over a year away from the next General Election.

Among those who support no political party, 29 per cent said they pay no attention to politics or elections, making it the single biggest reason for staying unaffiliated. Another 22 per cent said they were waiting to see the parties’ presidential and other candidates before choosing where to belong.

A further 19 per cent said they believed all political parties were corrupt, useless or did not care about ordinary citizens. Five per cent said the party they previously supported had changed its policies or leadership, while 20 per cent gave no clear reason for remaining unaffiliated.

“It can be assumed that the proportion declining to support any party will decrease over the coming year,” said the report.

The survey was conducted between June 13 and June 22, 2026, through face-to-face interviews with 2,048 respondents across all 47 counties. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.18 percentage points.