The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has registered 2,164,185 voters in the third week, missing yet again their weekly target in spite of the heightened political mobilisation.
The number is only half the weekly target of 50.54 per cent but the commission has maintained that it will not extend the registration period that ends Tuesday next week adding it has done its best to mobilise Kenyans to register.
The commission seeks to enlist electors 6.1 people as electors by the end of the exercise. By region, Rift Valley has seen 497,313 people registered in the three weeks against a target of 846,252 while Eastern region has 348,977 against a target of 669,008.
Central region has so far registered 318,457 against a target of 480,863, Nyanza saw 248,390 registered against a target of 597,597, Nairobi has so far 251,054 against a target of 598,572 while the figures at Coast stand at 238,499 against 491,433.
Western has seen 185,683 new voters registered against a target of 519,429 while North Eastern has 63,100 against 78,315. IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati urged Kenyans who have not registered to come out to avoid the last minute rush and affirmed that the deadline will not be extended owing to the tight schedule the commission has to deal with.
The commission has indicated that the low turn out for new registered voters goes beyond their mandate but is optimistic that more people will turn out in the remaining days.
“We urge all those who have not registered to do so. The exercise closes on February 14, and there will be no extension,” Chebukati said. The commission also plans to register the youths in institutions of higher learning from February 8-14 and is relying on the support of the administration and respective student leadership to succeed in the exercise.
As for prisoners, Chebukati stated they will be listed between February 20 to 27 in all the 118 prisons but they will only vote for president. On Diaspora participation, the commission will register voters in the four East African countries namely Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda and South Africa.
“Considering the logistics and constraints of time, the commission saw it prudent and tenable to start with these countries. The law allow for progressive registration and voting by Kenyans in the Diaspora and more countries will be included in future,” he said.
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