Over 10,000 IDs in North Rift uncollected as voter listing starts

More than 10,000 national identification cards remain uncollected in the North Rift region even as the mass voter registration kicked off Monday.

Regional Registrar of Persons Paul Keitany has called on applicants to collect the cards from their respective administration offices and Huduma centres to enable them to resister as voters and participate in the August elections.

“It is unfortunate that leaders have embarked on massive voter registration yet a lot of IDs remain uncollected,” said Mr Keitany while speaking in his office.

He disclosed that measures had been put in place to speed up the issuing of IDs to facilitate voter registration.

“More mobile stations have been opened up to enable Kenyans access ID card services and register as voters,” said Mr Keitany.

Meanwhile, voter registration began on a slow start in Trans Nzoia County with registration centres experiencing low turnouts despite lobbying by local leaders and other groups in the region.

TURNOUT LOW

Saboti constituency coordinator Martin Wekesa said the registration is targeting 111,644 new voters at 310 centres across the whole county, which has five constituencies.

“The turnout is so far low but we hope it will pick up slowly. We have 131 biometric voter registration kits that will be distributed in the 25 wards,” Mr Wekesa told journalists in his office.

However, political supremacy is taking centre stage in the North Rift with the Jubilee Party battling with Kanu to woo swing votes from pastoral communities ahead of the August elections.

The two rival parties are wooing voters in West Pokot, Turkana, Baringo and Elgeyo-Marakwet counties to register as voters in bid to take control of the vote-rich Rift Valley region.

The battle has narrowed down to two political titans, Deputy President William Ruto (Jubilee Party) and Baringo Senator Gideon Moi (Kanu).