MPs Raise Alarm Over Suspicious Voter Transfers from Nairobi to Distant Counties

A section of Members of Parliament (MPs) has raised concerns about alleged irregularities in voter registration, claiming that some Nairobi residents are being transferred to polling stations in North Eastern counties without their knowledge.

Speaking during an interview on Day Break on Citizen TV on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, Embakasi West lawmaker Mark Mwenje said the issue has emerged during the ongoing enhanced voter registration exercise by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

Mwenje, who also raised the matter in the National Assembly of Kenya on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, noted that while the electoral agency has made commendable efforts to improve voter registration, the alleged transfers risk undermining the credibility of the process.

Embakasi West MP Raises Alarm Over Voter Transfers to North Eastern Counties

The MP praised IEBC for expanding access to voter registration by gazetting new polling centres and deploying mobile registration units to churches, markets and other public spaces, saying the move had made the exercise more accessible.

“For the first time, registration is not as stationary as it used to be. They are moving around and trying to reach more people, and the numbers are encouraging,” he said.

However, Mwenje raised concerns about a new system that allows voters to register from any location and choose their preferred polling station, warning that it may be open to abuse.

Also Read: IEBC Reforms Ahead of 2027: Restoring Credibility or Redrawing Kenya’s Political Battleground?

He claimed that a pattern had emerged in constituencies such as Embakasi West, Embakasi North and Embakasi Central, where young voters who registered locally later discovered their details had been transferred to counties such as Garissa and Wajir.

“We started noticing that some of these people are being registered as voters in Garissa County and Wajir County. At first, we thought it was isolated, but the pattern became clear,” he said.

Mwenje Seeks Answers on Voters Moved to the North-Eastern Region

According to Mwenje, the anomaly is not random but appears to target specific regions, raising suspicion.

“If it was spread across different counties like Siaya, Mombasa or Central Kenya, it would not raise concern. But when you see a consistent pattern pointing to specific areas, then it becomes an issue,” he added.

He cited cases of individuals who registered at polling centres in Nairobi but later found their records indicated they would vote in constituencies such as Balambala in Garissa County and Wajir North.

Also Read: Low Turnout, Weather Woes and Insecurity Slow IEBC Voter Registration Efforts

Mwenje asked how these changes could happen without the voters’ consent. He pointed out that people usually choose their voting location when they register.

“The voter knows where they want to vote. But two days later, when they check the portal, they find they have been registered somewhere else,” he said.

The lawmaker has now called on the IEBC to provide a comprehensive list of all voters registered in Nairobi but assigned to vote in the North Eastern counties, saying the data is crucial in establishing the extent of the issue.

He warned that failure to address the matter could make it harder for young people to vote.

“The only explanation I can think of is an attempt to disenfranchise these young people from voting. Nobody is going to transport them to those counties on election day,” Mwenje said.

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IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon speaking during a breakfast meeting with members of the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) on April 15, 2026. PHOTO/ IEBC X.