Bribery, hardships blamed for poor turnout at the Coast

Failure by leaders to fulfil pledges, voter transfer, demand for bribes and disruption by Mombasa Republican Council are behind low voter registration at the Coast, reports indicate.

In Likoni, Mombasa County, low turnout has been attributed to voters registering in other sub-counties to boost bloc bases for the governor race.

On Sunday, Uwezo Fund chairman Salim Abdalla said members of particular communities were being moved.

At the Likoni chief’s office, about 2,000 new ID cards are yet to be collected.

Sources claimed some cards belong to members of the Wasambaa community from Tanga, Tanzania who are afraid of getting them.

Mr Abdalla said many locals were refusing to register as voters unless bribed.

“They are demanding Sh100 for tea and buns. This has been the trend since the Kanu days,” he said.

Economic hardships, according to him, are also to blame for the low turnout “since many people cannot abandon chores that put food on their table”.

Disruption by the MRC, according to Deputy County Commissioner Albert Kimanthi might also be contributing to apathy.

Mr Kimathi said MRC members were regrouping in order to interfere with the process.

By the end of the first day, Timbwani Ward had registered 138 new voters, Bofu managed 70, Mtongwe Ward (55), Likoni (80) and Shika Adabu (44).

In Kilifi, some residents said they were disillusioned by politicians not implementing projects.

TRIBALISM

They accused leaders of disappearing after elections. Some said job appointments were riddled with nepotism and ethnicity.

“Registering as a voter does not mean anything to me. I have witnessed several elections where leaders promise goodies only to vanish once they are in office,” Mrs Betty Kambi said Sunday.

Mr Jonathan Wasike said he had witnessed tribalism and nepotism first hand.

“My ancestral land is in western Kenya but I grew up here yet leaders still refer to us as upcountry people. I will not register as a voter,” he said.

Ms Diana Karisa, a Malindi resident, said she hasn’t registered as a voter because the conduct of leaders was worrying.

In Malindi, Ms Doris Moraa, 32, a banker said the tight work schedule could not allow her to register as a voter.

“I leave work at 5pm when registration centres have closed,” she said.

Mr Bashir Swaleh of Mokowe Town, Lamu County said he did not see the need to register as a voter because “the ballot changes nothing”.

“We know the winner long before the election,” he said.

At Manda island, Mrs Hagodana Suleiman, a squatter, is another disinterested Kenyan.

“Past regimes have been pledging to solve historical injustice and land problems. These elections will not make a difference,” she said.

Reports by Mwakera Mwajefa, Kazungu Samuel and Charles Lwanga