How to recruit and keep campaign volunteers

In short: Recruit volunteers through people they already trust, register every one properly with their phone, ward and consent, give each a specific role under a named coordinator, and keep them active with regular, small tasks, recognition and communication. Most volunteer networks fail not at recruitment but in the weeks after it.

Why volunteer networks collapse

Campaigns rarely struggle to sign people up. A good rally produces long lists. The problem comes later: the lists are on paper, nobody is assigned to follow up, the volunteers are never given anything specific to do, and within a month most have drifted away.

A volunteer programme that lasts has three parts: capture, structure and activity.

Where to find volunteers

• Your existing supporters — ask every committed supporter to bring one or two others.
• Community groups: youth groups, women’s groups, chamas, sports teams and professional associations.
• Local leaders who can vouch for people in their area.
• Former volunteers from previous campaigns in your area.
• People who approach the campaign after events or on social media.

Register every volunteer properly

Capture the basics once and correctly:

• Full name and phone number.
• Ward, and ideally polling centre, where they live.
• What they are willing to do and when they are available.
• Their consent to be contacted by the campaign.
• Who recruited them.

Avoid collecting sensitive details such as national ID numbers unless you truly need them, and protect them if you do. Personal data is covered by Kenya’s Data Protection Act, 2019.

Give every volunteer a role

People stay when they have a job. Typical roles:

• Canvasser: door-to-door and community visits.
• Mobiliser: turning out people for meetings and events.
• Data volunteer: entering and cleaning records.
• Event support: logistics, set-up, crowd management.
• Digital volunteer: sharing approved content and reporting misinformation.
• Polling agent (later): once trained and appointed by the campaign or party.

Every volunteer should know who their coordinator is and how to reach them.

Build the structure

• One coordinator per ward, reporting to a constituency or county lead.
• A manageable number of volunteers per coordinator — if a coordinator cannot name them all, the group is too large.
• Clear reporting: what each volunteer does is recorded, not just remembered.

Keep them active

• Give a first task within a week of joining.
• Keep tasks small and specific: “visit these ten homes on Saturday”, not “mobilise the ward”.
• Recognise effort publicly — at meetings, in group messages, with the candidate.
• Communicate regularly, but do not flood them with messages.
• Run short training sessions so people feel confident.
• Follow up personally with anyone who goes quiet.

Treat volunteers fairly

• Be clear from the start about what, if anything, the campaign provides — transport, meals or airtime for specific tasks.
• Record every allowance through the campaign’s finance process.
• Never ask volunteers to do anything unlawful or unsafe.

Measure what matters

• Registered volunteers per ward.
• Volunteers active in the last two weeks.
• Wards with volunteers but no coordinator.
• Tasks completed per week.

Frequently asked questions

How many volunteers does a campaign need?

It depends on the race and the plan. Start from the work: how many households or community meetings you want to reach per ward and per week, and how many people that takes. Every polling station will also need an agent on election day.

Should campaigns pay volunteers?

Volunteers are not paid staff, but many campaigns cover costs such as transport or airtime for specific tasks. Whatever you decide, be transparent and record it through the finance process.

How do I stop volunteers from dropping out?

Give them a specific task within a week, place them under a coordinator who knows them, recognise their work and follow up when they go quiet.