President William Ruto has urged an estimated 1.5 million people in Western Kenya who possess national identity cards but are yet to register as voters to do so, saying voter registration will be crucial in future political contests.
Speaking at State House, Nairobi, while hosting AFC Leopards Sports Club following the team's second-place finish in the FKF Premier League, Ruto told leaders from the region to ensure every eligible resident is registered as a voter.
"There are 1.5 million people in Western who have ID cards but do not have voters' cards," Ruto said.
“Wako tu hapo kwa shopping centre wanatusumbua na kutupigia makelele (They are at the shopping centre casuing disturbance and making noise),” he added amid laughter from the crowd.
The President said he had already tasked leaders from the region with mobilising eligible voters ahead of the next voter registration exercise.
"I have spoken to all your leaders and told them that this time everyone must register as a voter because you cannot become President without votes," he said.
Ruto assured his supporters that political strategy would be addressed at the appropriate time but insisted that the immediate priority was increasing voter registration.
“Maneno ya huko mbele tutapangana. Sisi ndiyo mafundi wa hiyo maneno, hapo mbele tutapangana msikuwe na wasiwasi, lakini kitu ya kwanza mnafaa kufanya ili tupangane ni kila mtu awe na kura,” he said.
(We will plan the future later, we are the experts in that, but for now let as plan and ensure everyone is registered as a voter).
(We are the experts in those matters. We will organise ourselves when the time comes, but the first thing you must do is ensure everyone has a vote)
The President made the remarks as he reiterated his administration's commitment to investing in sports as a driver of economic growth and youth empowerment.
He said the government is scaling up investment in the sector through the construction of 32 stadiums across the country to nurture talent and create employment opportunities.
"We are scaling up investment in the sports sector to unlock immense economic potential, transforming it into an industry that creates jobs, builds wealth and strengthens Kenya's global influence," he said.
According to Ruto, the stadiums will go beyond hosting sporting events and will incorporate commercial facilities such as meeting rooms, studios, restaurants and gyms to support both sports and the creative economy.
"These stadia will be more than sporting venues. They will create new opportunities for young people and strengthen the creative economy," he said.
The President described investment in youth as the government's most important priority.
"There is no better investment than one that secures the future of our youth," he said.
Ruto congratulated AFC Leopards for finishing second in the FKF Premier League and pledged continued government support to help the club achieve greater success.
He reaffirmed his administration's commitment to improving sports infrastructure and creating an enabling environment for Kenyan clubs and athletes to thrive nationally and internationally.
