Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya has raised concerns over the alleged registration of foreign nationals from Uganda as voters in the county ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Natembeya called on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to intervene and safeguard the integrity of the electoral process.
Speaking while hosting an IEBC delegation at his office in Kitale, he claimed that some politicians were facilitating the acquisition of Kenyan identification documents by Ugandan nationals and using them to influence voter registration in the county.
“It is unfair for some politicians to facilitate the issuance of Kenyan IDs to Ugandans and then enlist them as voters to tilt the outcome of elections in their favour,” said the governor.
The IEBC delegation was led by Commissioner Dr Moses Alutalala Mukhwana, who later participated in the People Dialogue Festival, a public engagement forum organised by the Centre for Multi-Party Democracy Kenya (CMD-Kenya) at Kitale National Polytechnic.
Natembeya urged the electoral commission to take the complaints seriously and ensure that the voter registration process is free, fair and credible ahead of next year’s polls.
He said the IEBC has a constitutional duty to guarantee a level playing field for all candidates and political players.
The governor also called on the commission to maintain neutrality and firmly deal with what he described as a growing culture of impunity among political aspirants.
“The commission has a big task of ensuring there is a level playing ground for all. It must remain neutral and address the culture of impunity among aspirants. Anybody who breaks the law must face the music,” he said.
In response, Dr Mukhwana said the IEBC can only register individuals who present valid Kenyan identification documents or passports, adding that the commission has no legal mandate to deny a person the right to vote if they are already recognised as Kenyan citizens under the law.
“We are guided by the law, which requires us to register anyone with a valid Kenyan ID or passport,” said Dr Mukhwana.
He noted that the issue of fraudulent acquisition of national identification documents falls outside the direct mandate of the commission and would require the involvement of other state agencies responsible for registration and citizenship verification.
The concerns come amid heightened political activity in Trans Nzoia, a county considered a key battleground in the run-up to the 2027 General Election.
Questions around voter registration, cross-border movement and the credibility of electoral processes have increasingly featured in political discourse in the region due to its proximity to the Kenya-Uganda border.
