Moses Akaranga vows to deny services to unlisted voters

Political leaders have devised clever ways to push Kenyans to register in preparation for the next elections.

In Vihiga County, Governor Moses Akaranga has said residents without voter cards would not be served by the county government.

The governor on Thursday advised those without the cards to take advantage of the mass registration that starts on Monday.

“Anyone coming to seek services from any of our 10 departments will first have to show us that he is registered as a voter,” Mr Akaranga said.

MASS LISTING

He added: “I have directed my officers to first check your registration status before attending to you. People who are not registered should do so from Monday when IEBC begins mass voter registration.”

Mr Akaranga said the move is aimed at raising the county's registered voters from 213,000 substantially.

IEBC statistics show that some 139,000 Vihiga residents are holding identify cards but have not registered to take part in the August General Election.

Those who have not registered risk missing out on the Sh125 million county bursary scheme, Sh30 million fertiliser subsidy, issuance of land titles and survey services, and employment.

BILL WAIVER

Individuals seeking waivers of hospital and mortuary bills, among other services, will also have to prove their registration status before being served.

The cleric-turned-politician said it would be easy for his administration to check anyone’s registration status by sending a message to 22464, a number that has been provided by the electoral commission.
In Murang’a, residents who do not have a voter’s card will not be allowed to enjoy their favourite alcoholic drinks in the county from next week, bar and hotel owners have said.

James Waweru, the chairman of the business owners’ association, said their members want to be active participants in the voter registration slated to begin on Monday, January 16.

NO DRINK

Mr Waweru said they would be demanding to see their customer's voter's card, adding that those found without the documents would be turned away.

“Just like you cannot drive without a driving licence, then you cannot drink without a voter’s card, hakuna starehe bila kura (no entertainment without a voter’s card),” he said.

Speaking in Murang’a town, Mr Waweru called on other business owners, such as matatu and boda boda operators, to follow suit so that all eligible voters are registered.

He said they would fund the initiative themselves and that they had already ordered over one million posters to be displayed at strategic places in their premises, urging locals to register as voters from January 16.

FUNERAL LISTING

“In all our premises in the eight sub-counties, over 2,000 members have agreed to partner free of charge as we support the voter registration process for the 2017 General Election,” he said.

At the same time, the Coast Parliamentary Group now wants voter registration to be done at funerals, weddings and palm wine drinking joints.
Speaking in Kilifi on Thursday, the group’s chairman Gunga Mwinga said this would help the commission to net more eligible voters ahead of the August polls.

He said the registration had to go to where many people gather.

The Kaloleni MP said Kilifi County alone has more than 127,000 unregistered people.

6 MILLION

“If they can register all the 127,000, the figure will increase from about 356,000 registered voters today to about 482,000,” he said.

This second round of voter registration will be the commission’s last one before the General Election.

The exercise, which starts on January 16, targets about six million new voters countrywide.

According to the poll team’s CEO Ezra Chiloba, the listing targets between four and six million new voters.

Reported by Derrick Luvega, Daniel Nyassy and Martin Mwaura.