IEBC now targets 12 million voters

With nine days to the December 18 voter registration deadline, Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has all but given up on the ambitious 18 million figure target. (Read: Polls team misses voter listing target)

The IEBC chairman, Mr Issack Hassan, says they are now projecting to register only 12 million people by the close of the exercise that has been hit by widespread voter apathy. (Read: Poor voter listing due to ‘fear of poll chaos’)

The low turnout has not only worried the government but has also got politicians asking why Kenyans appeared so uninterested.

President Kibaki is among those who have expressed concern and on Wednesday lamented over the low number of registered voters while appealing to every qualified citizen to register and take part in electing their leaders next year. (Read: Register as voters, Kibaki tells Kenyans)

The previous week, the Panel of Eminent African Personalities also noted voter apathy as a key challenge, with former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan and former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa calling on all eligible Kenyans to ensure they are registered.

“The rolling out of voter registration process across the country is commendable, but efforts must be intensified if the target of 18 million voters is to be met,” said Annan who noted that apathy and fear of a carry-over of the post-election violence may be a factor. He said failure to register could see poor leaders elected.

Interviewed in Ghana where he is leading a team of commissioners on an election observing mission, Mr Hassan said the Commission could not achieve the stated mission to register 18 million Kenyans who are qualified to vote.

“At the rate at which we are going I am very concerned it is very unlikely we are going to reach it (target). I don’t know why people are not enthused about the election but, as I have said before, we must go on to hold elections on March 4,” said Mr Hassan when interviewed in Accra on Friday.

Mr Hassan, who partly blamed the apathy on delays in issuing of national IDs, said the Commission would realistically register a revised figure of 12 million voters.

This would mean that a whopping six million eligible voters will be locked out of the elections to pick President Kibaki’s successor next year.

The IEBC chairman also cautioned that those who registered using their ID waiting cards would not be allowed to vote without producing their original national IDs.

ODM chairman Henry Kosgey on Saturday raised the alarm over what he called “disturbing apathy” in the registration of voters barely nine days to the December 18 deadline.

The minister, who was in his Nandi home enrolling as a voter, attributed the low turnout to lack of identity cards and general inertia amongst prospective voters.

“We should be concerned by the apathy in registration. Only 300 people have registered in my polling station of about 1,200 voters. Lack of identity cards has disenfranchised many youths,” he told the Sunday Nation.

“It is difficult to explain why many Kenyans are yet to get out there and register as voters despite the campaign by the electoral commission.”