Iris scan in the ongoing voter registration exercise is not compulsory, this is according to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

For the first time in Kenya’s election process, new eligible voters were informed that their eyes would be scanned alongside fingerprints in the ongoing excercise that was launched on Monday, September 29, in a bid to create a more detailed and permanent biometric profile.

However, a section of Kenyans expressed fears over the electoral body’s move to get new voters’ iris, raising alarm over alleged infringement of data privacy laws.

Now, IEBC Director of Voter Education and Partnerships Joyce Ekuam says that the introduction of iris recognition is a way of further enhancing the security of voters’ data, but it is not compulsory.

Ekuam also urged Kenyan youth to turn up in large numbers and register as voters, as that is the only way they can make a change and have a say in the country’s leadership.

According to Ekuam, the electoal commission is targeting 10% of the 6.3 million new eligible voters in the current Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.

“We are also doing a second phase called Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration (ECVR) Phase 1, in which we will target to register 40% of the 6.3 million. Next year, up to 2027 January or February, we are going to target another 50% of the 6.3 million,” Ekuam said in an interview with TV47.