By Ongaga Ongaga
Kenya Diaspora Alliance-USA (KDA-USA) has criticized the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) for excluding millions of Kenyans abroad from the ongoing enhanced continuous voter registration exercise.
In a statement, KDA-USA President Dr. Saisi Marasa said the move is unconstitutional and discriminatory, noting that the Constitution of Kenya 2010 guarantees every citizen the right to be registered and to vote.
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“Diaspora participation in elections is not optional – it is a constitutional imperative of our democracy that must now be defended for all its worth,” Dr. Marasa declared.
The Alliance highlighted that since 2013, diaspora voting has been restricted to a handful of countries, with only about 10,000 Kenyans abroad registered by 2022.
Less than 5,000 actually voted, representing under one percent of eligible diaspora citizens.
“This exposes a long-running pattern of systemic disenfranchisement,” the statement noted.
KDA-USA emphasized the economic weight of the diaspora, pointing to annual remittances exceeding KSh600 billion.
“A population that sustains the economy at this scale cannot be locked out of choosing the leadership that governs it,” Dr. Marasa said.
The Alliance demanded that IEBC immediately roll out voter registration in embassies, high commissions, and consulates worldwide, alongside mobile centers in countries such as the USA, Canada, the UK, EU, Australia, and the Middle East.
It also petitioned Parliament to amend the Elections Act to guarantee diaspora inclusion, compel IEBC to publish a binding 2027 registration roadmap, and allocate funding for global electoral operations.
Failure to act within 30 days, KDA-USA warned, will trigger lawful measures including litigation, peaceful demonstrations at Kenyan missions abroad, global advocacy campaigns, and economic pressure through remittance reviews.
“Kenyans in the diaspora are not second-class citizens, and we refuse to be relegated to spectators in our own democracy,” Dr. Marasa said.
“Inclusion of the diaspora in voter registration and voting is not tomorrow, it is not next year, it must happen now.”
