- Mudavadi advised Kenyans to ignore rumours that Huduma Namba cards will be used during voting.
- He said there is need to take the voter registration exercise as a civic duty.
Luhya leaders have stepped up campaigns to urge residents to register as voters.
Some are planning to conduct door-to-door campaigns while others have started identifying residents who have attained the voting age but have not registered as voters.
The mass registration drive began on Monday and will run for one month
ANC leader Musali Mudavadi on Monday morning during an interview on Radio Ingo FM said numbers are critical in the political battle ahead.
“My people, you all need to be registered voters. We don’t want voter suppression. We need to increase our voting numbers. I am urging the clergy to keep reminding us all in churches that we must get registered so that our votes can count come next year,” he said.
“We need to take this voter registration exercise as a civic duty. The voter’s card is the only tool that we shall all be required to use while electing good leaders who will propel good governance and development.”
Mudavadi advised Kenyans to ignore rumours that Huduma Namba cards will be used during voting. He said national ID cards are the ones being used to register voters.
He said 1.2 million people with IDs in Western Kenya have not registered as voters. Kakamega has 400,000, Trans Nzoia ( 300,000 ), Busia ( 200,000 ), Bungoma ( 200,000 ) and Vihiga ( 100,000 ).
Lugari MP Ayub Savula said with the help of chiefs, their assistants and opinion leaders they will conduct door-to-door campaigns to ensure all eligible voters are captured during mass registration.
“Numbers speak volume. Central Kenya beats us because they use their numbers and vote as a bloc, while we scatter our votes. This time round, we want to use our numerical strength by putting our entire vote in one basket so that we can be respected,” he said.
Savula spoke during a ceremony to hand over a bus to St Karoli Secondary School in Navakholo constituency on Sunday.
Navakholo MP Emmanuel Wangwe said he will use his structures in the constituency to mobilise all residents who have attained the voting age to register as voters.
“The number of voters we will have as Luhyas will determine our fate as a community in national leadership. We want the numbers because that’s what we’ll use for any negotiations,” he said.
Khwisero MP Christopher Aseka said he has mapped out all areas in the constituency for the purpose of voter registration.
“I’m currently on the ground. We have identified all people who have attained the voting age and are mobilising them to register,” he said.
Western has 2.2 million voters. Kakamega has the biggest number of voters in the region with 743,736. The IEBC targets to net 200,000 new voters in the county.
The IEBC has released the timetable for the August 9 race. On Friday, the commission revised the dates for political parties’ nominations from January to May.
Those interested in elective seats in 2022 are expected to leave office by February, six months into the poll.
Mudavadi said that the IEBC should come up with stringent rules for curbing political violence that has been witnessed from various parts of the country by supporters of some political groups and formations.
“As we carry out our campaigns, we must continuously promote peace and maintain law and order,” he said.