Vote Smuggling Ring: Border voter claims put Kenya's electoral system under scrutiny

As Kenya inches towards the 2027 General Election, questions over the integrity of the voters’ roll are emerging along the Kenya-Uganda border, with allegations of irregular acquisition of Kenyan identity documents and voter registration coming under scrutiny.

An investigation by The Standard has uncovered testimonies and documents pointing to possible vulnerabilities in the systems used to identify citizens and register voters, putting the National Registration Bureau and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) under scrutiny.

At the centre of the investigation are allegations that some Ugandan nationals have been facilitated to acquire Kenyan identity cards and, in some cases, voter cards, potentially creating a pathway for people who may not qualify under Kenyan law to participate in the 2027 elections.

The allegations come against the backdrop of a politically charged visit by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen to Uganda last Friday, where calls for President William Ruto’s re-election featured prominently, prompting opposition leaders to question the timing and purpose of the trip.

Over the years, there have been claims that foreign nationals, including Ugandans, have been facilitated to cross into Kenya to vote illegally. However, much of what has been alleged has remained difficult to independently verify.

On April 18, 2026, at the Suam border crossing between Kenya and Uganda, an incident involving Endebess MP Robert Pukose provided one of the leads in the investigation into allegations of a months-long operation to enlist Ugandan nationals into Kenya’s electoral process.

At about 11am, DCI officers reportedly intercepted a vehicle at the border and took three men in for questioning as some registration and election-related material was allegedly confiscated.

The circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear.

“The moment everyone realised what was involved and who was behind it, the matter became top secret. No one was allowed to meddle in it or even speak about it. But I can assure you the arrests happened, and some really important material was confiscated from the car,” said a source who witnessed the events.

“The destination, we later learnt, was Amanang in Uganda, where a voter registration exercise was underway. It is true that many Ugandans have been enlisted for the upcoming election,” the source added.

Sources familiar with the incident said Pukose arrived at the border post and confronted the police officers, after which the three men were released.

Pukose has previously disputed allegations linking him to the movement of people from Uganda for voting purposes.

Across the border, in Amanang, sources said an alleged registration exercise continued.

A DCI officer who allegedly made the arrest was reportedly warned to keep off the matter and told he would be transferred within a week. The officer was subsequently transferred to DCI headquarters, where he remains, according to sources.

The Standard was unable to independently establish whether the transfer was linked to the Suam incident. Sources further alleged that the transfer was initiated from senior levels of the National Police Service.

Across the border in Uganda, The Standard interviewed several Ugandan nationals who said they had acquired Kenyan identity cards and voter cards.

“It’s very easy. The same spot they register your Kenyan ID, you move a few desks and you are registered as a Kenyan voter. It’s all over. Everyone has it; we are only waiting for next year,” said Albert, not his real name, a Ugandan national.

The Standard examined identity documents presented by some of those interviewed and found inconsistencies, including differences in dates and places of birth between their Kenyan and Ugandan documents.

Kenya and Uganda permit dual citizenship subject to their respective legal requirements. Some of those interviewed said they had obtained documents from both countries without declaring their original nationality.

Across the border, residents told The Standard that several locations in Uganda’s neighbouring districts had allegedly been used in the processing of Kenyan identity documents.

They named Chebinyiny Primary School, the Gulu area and Kirigi, with the alleged activity extending towards Kapchorwa, about 75 kilometres from the Kenya-Uganda border.

“I acquired my Kenyan ID within two weeks of application. I know of some who have acquired theirs within a week, and so I am just waiting for my voter’s card to be delivered. I want to vote next year,” said a Ugandan woman who identified herself as Maureen. Her identity is withheld for security reasons.

Wafula Buke, a veteran ODM political strategist and campaigner for governance and democratic rights from Mt Elgon, said he witnessed what he described as a proliferation of Kenyan identity cards during a recent visit to Kapchorwa.

“I had gone to attend a funeral in Kapchorwa, and what I saw shocked me. I just saw bundles of Kenyan IDs issued casually to somebody I know. When I inquired, I was told everyone has it; you can hardly meet someone without a Kenyan ID. My heart sank,” Buke told The Standard.

Buke also alleged that two workers at a construction site complained that their Kenyan identity cards had not arrived.

According to his account, another person told the workers that the cards were expected on a particular day after a Kenyan official had contacted a coordinator.

Buke further said a contact estimated that the alleged exercise in the wider Kapchorwa, Bukwa and Bukwo areas could involve approximately 100,000 people.

Among those who have repeatedly raised concerns about alleged irregular registration is Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya, who has accused the government of seeking to interfere with the electoral process.

“The Kenya Kwanza government has assigned officials to issue IDs to Ugandans and later list them as voters. We are warning that we will not accept them to vote,” Natembeya said.

The Kenya-Uganda border cuts through communities that have lived and interacted across it for generations.

On the Ugandan side are the Sebei, whose relatives across the border are the Sabaot. The Bukusu and Bagisu also share cultural and linguistic ties across the border.

On Friday, September 25, hours before the release of The Standard’s report, senior Kenyan government officials led by Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen and Pukose crossed into Uganda’s Amanang Secondary School, an area at the centre of the allegations concerning Kenyan IDs and voter registration.

The delegation said it had crossed the border to raise money for a school bus.

Murkomen did not directly address the allegations of irregular voter registration but said Kenya would not discriminate against citizens living along the border who qualify for identification documents.

“I want to assure Kenyans and East Africans who live along the border... we will not discriminate against any Kenyan; they have a right to get IDs and other documentation,” Murkomen said.

The political message went further, with leaders urging Kenyans living across the border to return home and participate in the 2027 elections.

Kiminini MP Kakai Bisau told the gathering that Kenyan citizens living in Uganda and elsewhere in East Africa could return home to vote.

Trans Nzoia Senator Allan Chesang and Trans Nzoia Woman Representative Lilian Siyoi also addressed the voting rights of Kenyans possessing the required identification and electoral documents.

The Standard also contacted Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka, who is the Western region coordinator for President Ruto’s re-election campaign.

“If Kenya Kwanza leaders were allegedly smuggling voters, then opposition leaders should also smuggle voters, they have panicked,” Lusaka said.

In the 2022 election, Endebess Constituency had just over 50,000 registered voters. Trans Nzoia County had about 399,000 registered voters, while neighbouring Bungoma had nearly 647,000.

This is not the first time Pukose has been linked to allegations involving voters from Uganda. On August 9, 2022, police intercepted two lorries in Endebess reportedly carrying 91 people from Uganda towards polling stations. Police arrested 26 people while others escaped.

Pukose was at the scene and disputed the police allegations, saying those intercepted were genuine Kenyans who had been living or trading in Uganda and had returned home to vote.

Similar allegations have surfaced in Budalangi in 2013 and 2017, and in Endebess in 2022. Uganda has also previously raised concerns over Kenyans allegedly acquiring Ugandan voting documents and participating illegally in its elections.

The Standard put the allegations to the people and institutions named in the investigation, including Pukose, IEBC, the National Registration Bureau, the National Police Service and other officials and individuals mentioned in the report.

However, only IEBC responded.

The electoral commission rejected allegations of illegal voter registration, illegal transfers and registration of foreigners as voters, saying they remained unsubstantiated.

IEBC in it s responsed signed by acting CEO Ruth Kulundu said no individual, organisation or group had submitted credible evidence to support the allegations. It added that evidence of malpractice, if presented, would trigger investigations, disciplinary action and criminal prosecution where appropriate.

Under its constitutional mandate, IEBC said it registers citizens who have already been issued with valid identification documents by the relevant State agencies.

The Commission said voter registration is conducted only at designated and gazetted registration centres by trained and authorised officials under the supervision of Registration Officers.

It also detailed safeguards around KIEMS kits, saying the equipment is configured for use by Registration Officers and that registration clerks can only be deployed after authorisation, mapping, training and supervision.

On the Suam incident, IEBC said that during the Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration exercise conducted between March 30 and April 28, 2026, it maintained a movement schedule for KIEMS kits.

The kits, it said, were secured at designated police stations or IEBC offices and later returned to IEBC warehouses.

“No KIEMS Kit was reported missing, intercepted or unlawfully moved at Suam Border or elsewhere,” the Commission said.

IEBC further said no KIEMS kit had been reported missing, intercepted or unlawfully moved to an unauthorised location or foreign destination.

The Commission said any unauthorised movement or use of registration equipment would constitute a breach of the law and that anyone found culpable would face appropriate action.

On voter registration outside Kenya, IEBC said the Constitution requires the progressive registration of citizens residing abroad and the progressive realisation of their right to vote.

The Commission said it registered Kenyan citizens in 12 countries for the 2022 General Election and had proposed expanding the reach to 26 countries for the 2027 election.

The planned expansion includes countries such as Uganda, Tanzania and South Sudan, where significant Kenyan communities reside.

IEBC maintained that it is an independent constitutional commission and that it implements its decisions and programmes independently and in accordance with the Constitution and Kenyan law.

The National Registration Bureau and the National Police Service were among the institutions contacted by The Standard but had not responded by the time of publication.

Human rights activist Leonard Barasa warned that unresolved allegations could heighten tensions among communities that have historically maintained close social and economic ties across the border.

“This could deepen tensions across border communities who have lived together for ages. Politicians can take advantage and spur animosity. We need State agencies to take action immediately; we have little time left to the elections,” Barasa said.