NAIROBI, Kenya Apr 17 – The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is seeking Sh502 million to scale up diaspora voter registration and participation ahead of the 2027 General Election, warning that funding gaps and structural barriers continue to lock out millions of Kenyans living abroad.Appearing before the National Assembly’s Diaspora Affairs and Migrant Workers Committee, Acting Chief Executive Officer Moses Sunkuli highlighted a stark disparity between the estimated diaspora population and actual voter registration.While more than 1.4 million Kenyans are believed to reside abroad, only 10,443 registered as voters in the 2022 General Election, with a turnout of 57.76 percent.Sunkuli said the Commission’s roadmap to 2027 is anchored on institutional coordination, legal and policy alignment, and operational planning, but remains heavily constrained by inadequate funding. Of the KSh 502 million required for diaspora registration and voting activities, only KSh 400 million has been allocated.“The Commission is unable to carry out any diaspora mapping and registration activities due to unavailability of funding in the current financial year,” he told the committee.The IEBC acting CEO said engagement with the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee is ongoing to secure additional resources. Mapping and registration exercises, he noted, could begin as early as July if funding is approved.Limited access points remain a key obstacle, with diaspora voting in 2022 restricted to just 12 countries. Legal provisions have further curtailed expansion, as Regulation 34 of the Elections (Registration of Voters) Regulations ties registration and voting to the presence of Kenyan embassies or consulates effectively excluding countries without diplomatic missions.The Commission warned that the regulation risks imposing unreasonable restrictions on the constitutional right to vote and called for amendments to allow a more flexible, data-driven approach to diaspora participation.Low awareness among diaspora communities has also contributed to modest registration and turnout, despite measures such as adjusted voting hours to accommodate different time zones.Lawmakers raised additional concerns over accessibility, particularly in countries such as Saudi Arabia, where some Kenyan migrant workers reportedly lack control over their passports. “This committee should come in and clamp down on the issue of passports being in the possession of employers,”said Sigowet/Soin MP Justice Kemei.The question of alternative identification methods also emerged, with Kisauni MP Rashid Bedzimba seeking clarification on whether national identity cards could be used by voters without passports.In response, IEBC Director of Legal Services Chrispine Owiye said the use of IDs outside the East African region had been challenged in court, with the High Court ruling against their use in the 2022 polls.Owiye added that the Commission is implementing a Supreme Court directive requiring the gradual expansion of diaspora voting to more countries and additional polling stations in each electoral cycle.Committee members also pressed the Commission to address operational inefficiencies, including long queues witnessed in previous elections.Ruiru MP and Committee Vice Chairperson Simon King’ara called for enhanced public awareness and the establishment of more polling stations to ease congestion.In its submission, the Commission appealed for legislative reforms, adequate and timely funding, stronger inter-agency coordination, and sustained voter education to boost diaspora participation. Sunkuli cautioned that without these interventions, efforts to expand voting access for Kenyans abroad will remain limited, despite constitutional provisions requiring progressive realisation of the right to vote.