Expired passports could be used for 2027 vote in proposed changes.

📋 Breaking It Down

Kenyan citizens by birth who registered as voters using their passports could be allowed to vote in the 2027 elections even if the documents have expired, if a proposed amendment to the Elections Act is passed.

The National Assembly Justice and Legal Affairs Committee is pushing for an amendment to allow holders of expired passports to vote where the document was valid when they registered as voters.

Under the proposal, a passport that was valid at the time of voter registration would remain acceptable for identification during voting, even if it expires before election day.

📌 What You Need to Know

Kenyan voters wait in line to cast their ballots on August 9, 2022.

During debate on the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2024, committee chairman George Murugara said the amendment is among those the committee has lined up for consideration during the Bill’s third reading.

The Tharaka MP argued that the expiry of a passport does not strip a Kenyan citizen of their nationality or political rights.

“If you have a passport, even if it has expired, you don’t cease being a Kenyan. It is only that you cannot travel using it but for elections, we can’t disenfranchise you by saying you can’t vote,” Mr Murugara said.

However, the proposal has raised legal questions in Parliament, with some lawmakers warning that allowing expired documents to be used could provide grounds for challenging the validity of an election.

The debate centres on whether an expired passport remains a legal document that can be used for an electoral process, whether it confers the same rights as a valid passport or national identity card, and whether dual citizens lose their status as Kenyans if they fail to renew their passports.

📰 Source: Nation Africa