April 30, 2026
Matiang'i Woos Kenyan US Diaspora Electorate For 2027 Polls

Matiang’i Woos Kenyan US Diaspora Electorate For 2027 Polls

Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has advocated increasing the number of polling locations in the diaspora for the 2027 general elections.

Speaking in the United States on Sunday, July 20, Matiang’i announced that the opposition has begun the process of presenting a petition to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to consider the idea.

The former CS has already announced his intention to run against President William Ruto in the 2027 elections.

Matiang’i stated that this will ensure that more Kenyans in the diaspora, particularly those living and working in places like the United States, register to vote and participate in the upcoming elections.

“About 300,000 Kenyans are in the US, and when it comes to voting, probably about 10,000 registered to vote, and there are about two or three polling stations, and when it came to the actual voting itself, I feel like less than 3000 Kenyans voted in 2022,” Matiang’i said.

“My first challenge to you people is that you need to participate in electing the leaders of Kenya so that you can hold people to account,” he said.

“I have had discussions with people about how we can make this happen. We have agreed on completing a proposal on how we can increase polling stations in the US from the current number.”

Matiang’i has also urged leaders representing Kenyans in the diaspora to take the initiative and launch a sensitization campaign to encourage Kenyans to register as voters and engage in the election process.

According to the former CS, incorporating more Kenyans from the diaspora into electoral processes will be critical to establishing accountability in the country’s leadership.

Furthermore, the former CS emphasized the need for other Kenyans, particularly the middle class, to take the initiative and register to vote in the upcoming elections.

He emphasized the importance of using other channels, such as social media, to call for accountability among officials.

“Whatever we do, unless we are participating in making that decision on who is going to make decisions for us, we will have nothing to talk about because we are only going to whine and complain about it,” Matiang’i said. 

Matiang’i is one of numerous prominent leaders and politicians who have indicated interest in the country’s top position.

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Others include Martha Karua, Kalonzo Musyoka, Eugene Wamalwa, David Maraga, Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah, former Chief Justice David Maraga, and Mumias East Member of Parliament Peter Salasya.

In a press event on Saturday, July 19, IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon confirmed that the commission will release the voter registration timetable for the 2027 General Election in August.

According to the IEBC CEO, the registration will be gazetted and will specify when nationwide voter registration will take place.

“The IEBC is currently finalising internal processes, and in August, which is next month, will announce via gazette notice the timelines for resumption of continuous voter registration to allow eligible citizens of Kenya to register as voters,” Ethekon stated.

Matiang’i Woos Kenyan US Diaspora Electorate For 2027 Polls

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