Lack of a preferred presidential aspirant from Mt Kenya region and youth expecting facilitation before registering as voters are to blame for the low voter listing in Nyeri county.
This is according to governor Mutahi Kahiga and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Nyeri Elections coordinator Aluisia Kanini.
Kahiga said the low turn out was because the region has no strong presidential contender to lead others in voter mobilisation.
He said when retired President Kibaki and his successor Uhuru Kenyatta were vying, politicians would donate their vehicles for use to mobilise people to register as voters or vote.
“But as of now, we are yet to have a preferred aspirant in the region who can lead in mobilising people to register as voters,” Kahiga said on Tuesday while addressing the media outside his offices in Nyeri town.
IEBC is mostly targeting youth who got their identity cards recently.
The governor said though they cannot be forced to register, people who fail to register or register but do not vote, are to blame for the election of bad leaders.
He called on Nyeri residents who have not yet registered as voters to do so, so that they can have a say in determining both their national and local leaders through casting of their ballot.
“Let us not wait to be mobilised by politicians or IEBC officials to register as voters. Just walk into the nearby registration centre and register,” Kahiga appealed.
He said without votes, people will not have the power to replace bad leadership.
The elections coordinator also admitted that the county had recorded low turn out in the registration.
Speaking after a meeting with special interest groups in Nyeri town on Tuesday, Kanini said there was apathy among many youth who are asking for facilitation so as to register.
Only 6,941 people have registered since the exercise started on October 4, out of the target of 148,000.
Kanini said IEBC will reach out to them and educate them on their civic duty as it is a responsibility for everyone to register.
She said among the strategies that they have laid down is to ensure they have registration kits in most of the major churches.
“We also have registration kits in the universities and colleges and are also going to make use of youth volunteers who will sensitise the communities at the ward level,” she said.
The commission, she said, will also liaise with special interest groups to explore ways of reaching out to them during their meetings so that they can register.
“A case in point is the deaf community who has a service every Sunday at Nyamachaki PECA hall and we have agreed that starting this Sunday, they will get a registration kit.”
She called on those eligible to vote but are yet to register to take advantage of the ongoing mass registration as registration is now closer to them saying after November 2, they will have to visit the IEBC offices to register.
She urged them to use the remaining time to register rather than staying idle and letting registration clerks to stay idle only to rush at the last minute.
She said they have also sent appeals to politicians to come out and help them in mobilising eligible people to register.
-Edited by SKanyara
