MPs express fear many might be locked out of voter registration

MPs from pastoral communities have expressed fears that many eligible voters from their zones might be locked out of the ongoing mass registration.

The lawmakers said most of the nomadic families were on the move with their livestock in search of water and pasture.

“We are worried as a community. We will not realise the number of targeted voters unless the government moves fast to address the biting hunger that has affected pastoralist communities,” said Turkana North MP Christopher Nakuleu.

Mr Nakuleu with his counterparts from Baringo and West Pokot appealed to the IEBC to consider mobile registration.

Elsewhere, senators Boni Khalwale (Kakamega) and Mutula Kilonzo Jr (Makueni) separately asked Kenyans not to wait until the last minute as they could miss out due to technicalities.

“Get your documents ready and confirm your status well in advance. Those with IDs must ensure they are armed with a voters card and turn out to vote for their favourite candidates when the time comes,” said Dr Khalwale.

Mr Kilonzo Jr said every Kenyan had a right to participate in the electoral process to ensure that the country ends up with leaders who have been elected by majority of the voters at the national and county level.

In Nairobi, many people turned up at various registration centres while turnout was poor on the second day of registration in regions such as Kisii, Nyamira and Migori.

MOSTLY YOUNG

An IEBC official who sought anonymity said most of those who were turning up for registration were mostly young people who had just turned 18 years, with those who wanted to transfer from one polling station to another being part of the recorded entries.

In Mandera, registration was yet to start in Mandera East and Lafey constituencies. IEBC officials in Mandera said this was due to lack of ICT experts.

“We only have one regional ICT expert going round constituencies in Wajir and Mandera retro feeding the BVRs,” said Mandera East election coordinator Abdikadir Abdullahi.

He said the drive would start immediately experts are found and lost days would be added.

He also blamed a recent Court of Appeal ward boundary review ruling that moved Libehia ward from Lafey to Mandera East.

“The polling station codes have not changed from Lafey constituency to Mandera East despite the area having moved administratively,” he said.

In Mombasa, National Registration Bureau official Aggrey Masai assured the Makonde of being issued with identity cards in time to register as voters.

In Kisumu, the Kenya University Students Organisations expressed fears that over 500,000 students could be locked out of the elections since they were being made to register in their institutions which could close during the polls.

Report by Collins Omulo, Faith Nyamai, Dennis Odunga, Manase Otsialo, Mohamed Ahmed and Anita Chepkoech.