The National Registration Bureau (NRB) has reallocated approximately 1 000 biometric registration kits (BRKs) from the digital identity verification (DIV) exercise to support the new voter registration initiative.
These kits have been prepared and configured to ensure a smooth registration process.
NRB has also recruited and deployed temporary officers who have been working with the bureau since June 2023 as part of the national ID outreach registration exercise.
The issuance of national IDs is expected to start today as Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) is expected to rollout Phase 2 of the voter registration exercise.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lilongwe yesterday, Principal Secretary for NRB Mphatso Sambo said: “Every new registrant will undergo the due process of civil registration according to the law. NRB has established biometric registration centres to service all MEC voter registration centres.”
Sambo also said that the NRB is using tablets for the DIV exercise at all voter registration centres.
However, opposition political parties have raised concerns and demanded that MEC either discontinue the exercise or address their demands.
During a joint press briefing in Lilongwe last week, representatives from the Democratic Progressive Party, Alliance for Democracy, UTM Party, and United Democratic Front called for the termination of MEC’s contract with the information and communications technology (ICT) company Smartmatic.
Meanwhile, Sambo has dismissed concerns regarding delays in registering eligible voters following the High Court ruling on October 25 2024.
In the ruling, Judge Mandala Mambulasa ordered the NRB to “immediately take steps and put in place adequate mechanisms that would ensure that persons who meet the eligibility criteria set by Section 77 of the Constitution and present themselves at the MEC registration centres, are assisted to register in its database and given a unique identifier in line with the requirements of Section 12 of the Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government Elections Act”.
According to Sambo, the bureau promptly began preparations to comply with the court order, including planning and resource allocation.
The NRB has reportedly registered 12.5 million people, while MEC aims to register 10.9 million for the September 16 2025 General Elections.
