Low turnout at voter listing centres after extension

An unattended voter registration centre at Njogoo in Elementaita, Nakuru County, on February 15, 2017. No clerk was on sight as people kept away from many centres a day after the campaign was extended by two days. PHOTO | SULEIMAN MBATIAH | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Mr Habil Irungu, an IEBC clerk in Kiptangwanyi, said they had registered 50 people on Tuesday, up from an average of 15 daily.
  • At least 471 people were detected to have shared identity cards and 474 cases of double registration were reported.

The voter registration centres of the electoral agency, including the regional offices in Nakuru County, were deserted Wednesday though the listing was extended for two days.

There were only a handful of residents seeking to register or transfer their voting stations.

This was a stark contrast to Tuesday, when hundreds queued to beat the February 14 deadline.

The listing was extended after the High Court issued a temporary order allowing two more days for the process.

Acting Central Rift IEBC Coordinator Paul Kones said he didn't expect the agency to hit their target even with the extension.

"Our statistics were based on the number of identity cards issued. But people collect IDs and go to vote in other constituencies," Mr Kones explained.

He further noted that voter education by political leaders and other organisations might have compelled some of the undecided eligible voters to register.

A spot check by the Nation in Gilgil Sub-County revealed a lower turnout Wednesday compared with Tuesday.

Habil Irungu, an IEBC clerk in Kiptangwanyi, said the agency had registered 50 people on Tuesday, up from an average of 15 daily.

Only one person had turned up to register by noon Wednesday.

"I think those who will turn up might be only those who get their IDs today and tomorrow," Mr Irungu said.

INSECURITY BLAMED

Residents in the region blamed the last-minute rush on the escalating cases of insecurity in the area.

“Frequent invasion of our farms and homes by illegal grazers have caused us to continue living in fear and that was the reason most of us were unable to go to the registration centres for voter enlisting,” noted Lucy Wanjiru Maina, who had visited the Laikipia West IEBC office in Nyahururu town to transfer her polling station from Ndaragwa in Nyandarua to Laikipia West.

Laikipia West IEBC registration officer Dominic Leparmarai said the number of voters wishing to register or transfer rose in the past few days.

“On Monday, we registered over 1,200 people as new voters while 800 others visited the office to transfer their polling stations,” he noted.

In Samburu, the number of registered voters was low, as most residents had relocated in search of water and pasture.

At least 471 people were detected to have shared identity cards and 474 cases of double registration were reported.

Samburu Central reported the highest number of registered voters, with the Huduma Centre station in Maralal town recording 630 registered voters by Tuesday afternoon.