Kenya – Chairman Wafula Chebukati revealed that only 760,000 Kenyans have registered as new voters against a target of 4.5 million by this week, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). He said that in the agency people are concerned about the low voter registration trend as the mass listing drive is planned to end on 2nd November.
He further added that the report will be going out soon for all the counties, but they have only done 760,000 plus, out of an expected 4.5 million. It is a very low turnout; Kenyans will wait until the last minute to come out.
It was discussed in the last meeting in Nairobi of senior officials from the Judiciary, Ministry of Interior, IEBC and the National Cohesion and Integration Commission to discuss the country’s state of election preparedness.
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However, it should be noted that IEBC as a commission is in charge of elections and referendums. It is clearly stated in the Constitution that they are an independent commission, but each of these agencies here have something to do with elections within their mandate. They are also going to work together to be able to deliver to Kenyans free and fair elections.
Voter registration apathy is a growing concern in Kenya especially with the key politicians eyeing political seats campaigning across the country and urging the masses, mostly young people, to register and take part in the next polls.
The election agency had targeted at least 6 million new voters but an analysis of the number of eligible voters as shown by the latest population census. Even this number of people who have attained voting age and unregistered people show a figure of about 9 million potential new voters.
