Low voter registration in Kilifi as 580,000 ID cards uncollected
Coast
By
Marion Kithi
| Oct 09, 2025
Close to 580,000 National Identification (ID) cards remain uncollected in Kilifi County, a trend that could undermine the ongoing voter registration exercise launched last Monday.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) reported low numbers, with only 48 voters registered in Kilifi North Sub-county in the last four days.
Data submitted to the IEBC by the Registrar of Persons indicates that Kilifi North sub-county has over 56,000 uncollected National Identification ID cards dating back to 2022.
READ MORE
PS Muoria: Dual training turning youth into job creators, not job seekers
Freighters lobby in Sh10b deal to digitise logistics sector
Why IMF is yet to seal deal with Kenya
Old Mutual boss now joins ANCA leadership council
Battery cages or deep-litter floor for your layers?
Pay to pass:Treasury gives green light to Dongo Kundu tolling plan
General insurance claims ease as sector shows signs of recovery
State calls for advisers as it moves to open pipeline jewel to investors
Fintechs prioritise experience, financial education during customer service week
"Thousands of youths and adults risk being locked out of the electoral roll if they fail to collect their IDs in time," said Kilifi North senior electoral manager, John Mwawasi.
He said those who have not collected IDs cannot only get voters' cards but are also locked out of essential services such as banking and employment opportunities.
"The Registrar of Persons needs to take those IDs to the grassroots in various chiefs' offices for owners to collect them," said Mwawasi.
According to statistics covering the 2022/2023 to 2025/2026 financial years, 579,877 IDs are lying uncollected in registration offices across the county.
They are new regulations and replacements. In 2022/2023, over 209,000 IDs, 106,365 Not Previously Registered (NPR), and 106,671 replacements remain uncollected.
A total of 76,921 NPR and 88,457 replacements processed during the 2023/2024 financial year remain uncollected.
In 2024/2025, 84,372 NPR and 90,551 replacement ID cards remain uncollected, while in 2025/2026 to date, 16,339 NPR and 14,201 replacements are yet to be collected.
In 2022/2023, 13,718 NPR and 10,779 replacements were not collected, while in 2024/2025, 9,463 NPR and 9,880 replacements remain uncollected.
IEBS officials and locals fear that the huge backlog of uncollected IDs poses a serious challenge since an ID is a mandatory registration requirement.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) on Monday, 29, 2025, kicked off a nationwide voter registration exercise.
Kilifi County Maendeleo ya Wanawake organising chairperson Witness Tsuma, on her part, urged youths to collect IDs from the office of the Registrar of Persons.
She claimed that leaving the documents uncollected could undermine the current voter registration efforts across the county.
Tsuma, who is also eyeing the 2027 County Woman Representative position, challenges youths to come out and register as voters to participate in the 2027 general election.
"You cannot participate in the upcoming election if you are not registered as a voter. Voting is your right," Tsuma said.
She said locals should stop lamenting about slow processing of IDs when they are the ones who fail to collect them.