Millions of eligible voters are likely to miss out on the next year’s General Elections as the ongoing voters registration fails to meet the target.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has so far registered 800,462 new voters against a projected target of 4.5 million.
The commission is making an impassioned plea to eligible unregistered voters to enrol before the 30-day exercise that was rolled out on October 4th comes to a close next week Tuesday.
“The Commission makes a final call to all Kenyans that are eligible for registration as voters to take advantage of the remaining one week and register. Our staff are in every ward in the country ready to enrol you so that you may exercise your democratic right” IEBC chairperson Wafula Chebukati appealed in a statement.
While giving a status update on the National Enhanced Voter Registration (ECVR) exercise which entered its fourth and final week, Chebukati disclosed the commission had so far processed 125,266 transfer requests from the existing voters.
In the vote-rich counties that holds the key to the next year’s presidential contest between Deputy President William Ruto and opposition leader Raila Odinga has also posted dismal results.
Nyandarua county has recorded 8,946 new voters, Nyeri 9,246, Kirinyaga 9,676 while Murangá has enlisted 12,404 new voters.
Kiambu has recorded 25,427 new voters, Meru 24,279,Tharaka-Nithi 6,634 while Embu has registered 7,902 new voters.
Cumulatively, the eight counties have registered 104,514 new voters out of the targeted number of 1,317,161.
In Rift Valley, Elgeyo/Marakwet has recorded 11,186 new voters, Uasin Gishu 20,803, Nandi 20,152, Baringo 14,998, Kericho 16,730 and Bomet 17,264.
The six counties has cumulatively registered 101,133 new voters and the commission had targeted at least 621,932.
Nyanza counties of Kisumu, Homa Bay, Migori and Siaya have enlisted 79,876 new voters. In Siaya18,772 have been enlisted out of the 149,247 target.
Similar apathy has been witnessed in Kisumu where only 23,568 have turned up to enlist out of the 175,847 targeted.
Homa Bay has enlisted 16,086 out of 155,799 while Migori with a total of 126,446 eligible voters has only added 21,450 to IEBC’s roll of registered voters.
Kisii and Nyamira counties have enlisted 42,561 cumulatively out of the 269,569.
In Eastern Counties, Kitui, Makueni and Machakos counties have registered 53,140 new voters. The three counties have a combined target of 494,516 new voters.
In Western, Kakamega has recorded 29,366, Vihiga 10,901, Bungoma 28,589 while Busia has 16,260 new voters.
This means candidates who are vying for presidency must entice their respective strongholds to register to retain the high voter turnout.
