IEBC says insecurity in parts of the North Rift hindering voter registration
Sote Wilson cooks for her family at Chepkewel Primary School in Loruk Sub-Location, Baringo County on May 4, 2015 after fleeing her home due to insecurity. According to IEBC, voter registration in Baringo and parts of the North Rift has been hampered by insecurity. PHOTO | JARED NYATAYA | NATION MEDIA GROUP
The Independent and Electoral Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has said that insecurity in Baringo and the larger North Rift region is hindering the on-going voter registration.
Central Rift IEBC Co-ordinator Anastacia Mutua said mass displacements resulting from ethnic fights, cattle rustling and run-away crime in Laikipia, Samburu and Baringo counties has made it difficult to register voters from the affected communities.
Addressing journalists in Nakuru, Ms Mutua said out-reach voter registration centres in Baringo had been rendered useless since thousands of residents had relocated to Marigat while others had moved to the upper north for fear of attacks.
Ms Mutua urged the government mop-up illegal arms in the region and restore security to enable voter registration ahead of the 2017 general elections.
“No registration is going on in Tiaty Constituency since most of the families have fled their homes due to insecurity,” said the IEBC regional co-ordinator.
AFFECTED AREAS
She said other affected areas include Baringo North and Baringo South constituencies.
She, however, said that registration has not been affected in Eldama Ravine Constituency and Marigat although the turn-out was low.
She emphasised the importance of registering early since the exercise was ongoing instead of people waiting until election time was near in order to register.
“It is a challenge convincing people to register while the elections are more than two years away but we are doing our best to ensure that majority of the people are listed before the eleventh hour,” she said.
She observed that even in cases where people collect their national identification cards from the National Registration Bureau desks based at Huduma Centres, they were still reluctant to spare a few minutes to register as voters.
She said IEBC will roll out voter registration in all Huduma Centres countrywide.
Ms Mutua said that the process had already started at the Nakuru Huduma Centre adding that another centre will be set up in Kabarnet.
She said that a voter education week will be launched on May 18 in Nakuru to sensitise the public on the right to vote.
