•Koyoo said such politicians were not keen to consolidate ODM party leader Raila Odinga’s backyard to help him clinch the presidency.
•He said Raila’s march to the State House outweighs the ambitions of any other aspirant in the region, urging politicians to prioritise voter mobilisation if they want Raila to win the presidency.
Image: MAURICE ALAL
@alalmaurice
Muhoroni MP Onyango Koyoo has faulted aspirants in his constituency for investing more time in personal campaigns instead of mobilising potential voters to get registered.
There has been a low turnout of those expected to register as voters since the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission launched the mass registration drive on October 4.
IEBC is targeting to register 28,971 new voters every week in the larger Kisumu county. So far, only 9,629 have been registered in two weeks.
The overall target is 124,159. County election manager Patrick Odame said they had expected to register over 200,000 new voters but that looks like a miracle now.
Koyoo said politicians should mobilise potential voters to get registered as a way of consolidating ODM leader Raila Odinga’s backyard to help him clinch the presidency in 2022.
He said Raila’s march to the State House outweighs the ambitions of any other aspirant in the region. He thus urged politicians to prioritise voter mobilisation.
The MP called for peaceful elections and pledged to work together with other leaders.
He spoke on Sunday when he met chairmen of boda boda operators drawn from all bases in the constituency at Calfie Resort in Korowe to rally them to get listed as voters.
Koyoo told off aspirants going round claiming that they will be handed direct party tickets, saying they will be in for a rude shock.
He asked politicians to desist from reckless politics, saying it was not healthy for Raila’s presidential bid.
Koyoo said such utterances will create voter apathy and thus derail the party's bigger ambition.
"Some people have been going round endorsing others for certain seats as their preferred choice, this is an exercise in futility that should be condemned in the strongest terms possible,” Koyoo said.
He told the operators in Muhoroni constituency to ensure they are all registered as voters ahead of the next year’s general election.
The MP said there are many operators in the sector who should not be left out in the ongoing mass voter registration exercise.
More than 100 chairmen attended the meeting. He urged them to mobilise members of the public to turn out and register as voters in large numbers.
During the meeting, it was resolved that each operator must identify youths within their villages who have acquired IDs and ensure they are all registered as voters.
"We must ensure that all the operators are registered as voters. It is only the vote that will enable you to participate in elections,” Koyoo said.
They also agreed to traverse all the wards in the constituency to sensitise and mobilise people to register as voters.
The operators also resolved that no students will be allowed to operate as boda bodas.
Koyoo said residents who have not been registered should ensure they are enlisted as voters to help them elect leaders of their choice.
He also asked civil societies to help in rallying youths in all the wards and ensure they are not left out in the exercise.
In 2017, Muhoroni constituency had 69,091 registered voters.
The constituency has five wards namely Miwani, Ombeyi, Masogo/Nyang’oma, Chemelil and Muhoroni/Koru.
Koyoo said the constituency is capable of registering more than 30,000 new voters if proper mobilisation is done.
“I want our people to know that they have the right to register as voters and fully participate in decision-making when electing leaders to various positions,” the MP said.
He told residents that they can best exercise their democratic right to elect the leaders they want if they register as voters and cast their votes.
Koyoo expressed his readiness to assist in the mobilisation of residents who do not have IDs to come out in large numbers and apply for the documents.
He asked chiefs and other administrators to assist in the distribution of uncollected IDs.
“Those who have not collected their IDs should do so and get registered,” Koyoo added.
Muhoroni IEBC returning officer Peter Onyango called on residents who have not registered not to wait for last-minute rush. “We have our clerks at designated areas to register you. Come out and get enlisted,” Onyango said.
Edited by P.O