Kisumu top guns push youth to enter voter roll

Leaders from Kisumu are mobilising resources to facilitate mass voter listing to boost ODM leader Raila Odinga’s chances of clinching the presidency.

MPs Onyango Koyoo (Muhoroni), Fred Ouda (Kisumu Central), Olago Aluoch (Kisumu West), Shakeel Shabbir (Kisumu East), James Nyikal (Seme), Jared Okello (Nyando) and Kisumu speaker Elisha Oraro termed voter listing crucial for the region.

With only seven months to the election, the leaders urged residents to turnout in large numbers and register as voters in the second phase of the enhanced registration.

They appealed to eligible voters to be listed ahead of the August 9 General Election.

Oraro appealed to elected leaders and aspirants to put aside their political differences and focus on door-to-door mobilisation in bid to register more voters.

“We must unite for the common goal of consolidating more votes for Raila. This is only possible through extensive voter mobilisation by all leaders,” he said.

Oraro spoke during the Kisumu county leaders’ consultative meeting on voter registration mobilisation at Mama Grace Onyango hall on Monday.

Nominated Senator Rose Nyamunga, Kisumu Central MP aspirant Dr Joshua Oron, Kisumu Central ODM party chairman Seth Ochieng and county ODM chairman Ayiecho Olweny attended the meeting.

Nyikal said they are committed to the drive and resolved to move away from roadshows and focus on mass mobilisation through the support of national and county government systems.

“As elected leaders, we have a duty to work with the IEBC and the national government to achieve targeted voter registration in our respective constituencies and wards,” he said.

County elections manager Patrick Odame urged eligible voters to be listed. In phase one, he said the county registered 44,666 new voters out of the targeted 173,474.

Odame said they are targeting to register 130,105 in the second phase.

Last week, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission announced the second phase of the enhanced continuous voter listing.

The second enhanced voter registration started on Monday and will end on February 6.

The first phase of the enhanced continuous voter registration started on October 4 and ended on November 5 last year.

Nyamunga said, “We want Raila to have more votes to clinch the presidency.” 

The leaders also discussed identity cards collection and pledged to ensure they rally applicants to collect them.

More than 14,000 IDs remain uncollected at various offices of the national registration bureau in Kisumu.

Some 14,242 IDs are in various Huduma Centres and chiefs offices.

Kisumu Central subcounty leads with uncollected IDs at 10,365, followed by Nyando with 1,089. Kisumu East subcounty and Kisumu West subcounties have 678 and 815 respectively.

In Seme, 376 IDs have not been collected, with Nyakach and Muhoroni having 486 and 433.

Koyoo urged eligible voters to visit registration centres and have their details captured for them to participate in the election.

“We have agreed as leaders to retreat to our respective constituencies and wards to urge residents to get listed,” he said.

Koyoo said they have also resolved to ensure uncollected IDs are picked.

Olago said leaders must mobilise resources, including funds, to ensure Raila succeeds in his presidential bid.

He urged leaders to put resources together to get voters to register.

“Raila’s march to State House outweighs the ambitions of any other aspirant in the region,” Oron said. 

He pledged to mobilise stakeholders to raise funds to transport potential voters to get registered.

“We are engaging chiefs and assistants to ensure all IDs are collected and owners listed,” he said.

Oron said he is ready to use his resources to rally the youth and elderly persons to get registered.

“A win for Raila is a win for all Kenyans. His bid is crucial for this country and the region. We must therefore give priority to rallying his backyard,” he said.

Edited by A.N