Nyeri leaders worried by low turnout in ongoing voter listing

From left: Nyeri Deputy Governor Samuel Wamathai, businessman Anthony Maina and Health PS Nicholas Muraguri leave Summer Gardens in Nyeri Town on February 2, 2017 after a meeting with over 1,000 voter registration mobilisers. The meeting was prompted by the low turnout in the ongoing mass voter registration. PHOTO | JOSEPH KANYI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • IEBC data showed that only 32,223 new voters had been registered in the county by Wednesday, against a target of 161,359.
  • Dr Muraguri urged each of the leaders to ensure they influence at least 10 people to register every day.
  • Governor Gachagua pleaded with Nyeri residents to turn out in large numbers to support the President.

Leaders and political aspirants in Nyeri are a worried lot after data released by the electoral commission showed that the county was lagging behind in the ongoing voter registration.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) showed that only 32,223 new voters had been registered in the county by Wednesday, against a target of 161,359.

This sparked a series of meetings to deliberate on the way forward by various political camps.

Health PS Nicholas Muraguri and a county government team invited 1,500 community leaders for a meeting.

The PS warned the leaders that the numbers are extremely worrying adding that if nothing is done to reach the IEBC target, President Kenyatta’s re-election is at stake.

Armed with data on the performance of each ward, Dr Muraguri urged each of the leaders to ensure they influence at least 10 people to register every day.

ONLY 30PC LISTED

The data showed that the 30 wards in the county had registered less than 30 per cent of the targeted voters with less than two weeks to the end of the exercise.

“Politics is a game of numbers. You are complaining that the areas do not have enough BVR (kits) yet the problem is that people are not showing up at registration centres,” he said.

And speaking from London, Governor Gachagua pleaded with Nyeri residents to turn out in large numbers to support the President.

“Please go to your respective wards and ensure that we enlist as many voters as possible. We cannot sit back and watch,” he said.

Other leaders have donated their resources to aid in voter mobilisation campaigns.

“Nyeri people wait until the last minute to register, but we are advising them to take (this) early opportunity and register themselves as voters. We do not want people to risk by waiting for the last minute,” said Athi Water Services Board chairman Wachira Keen.

REACH OUT TO STUDENTS

An aspirant for the governor’s seat, Mr Patrick Munene, has offered to reach out to university and high school students to register.

Another aspirant, Wahome Gakuru, urged the county government to use its machinery to mobilise more unregistered voters.

Mr Gakuru said the low numbers have been occasioned by failure by county elected leaders to participate in the registration mobilisation campaign.

County Jubilee Party officials’ committee chairman Mutahi Kahiga said strategies are in place to ensure unregistered voters are enlisted, urging aspirants to put their differences aside and concentrate on the mass registration.

“We have identified two people per ward who will mobilise those unregistered. We don’t want to rush [at] the last minute,” he said.