Ahadi  Kenya boss pleads with leaders to mobilise for voter registration

The Mountain Journal

editor@themountainjournal.co.ke

Well-wishers have been challenged to mobilise IEBC to facilitate massive registration of new voters in the villages in Murang’a.

Ahadi  Kenya Executive Director Stanley Kamau said it was a pity that the voter registration drive has continued to experience a low turnout  due to lack of community leaders’ input.

Dr Kamau said in Mathioya since the registration drive started only 670 new voters had been registered as only a few managed to travel  to the IEBC offices at Kiria ini town. Murang’a County.

Speaking at Gitugi market, during a voters registration drive he regretted that the majority of the people from the interior villages are likely to be locked out from participating in the voting due to lack of voter cards, owing to the distance  to Kiria ini town where the IEBC constituency offices are located.

“ It is now the opportune time  for the persons of good will and  including leaders  to facilitate the IEBC officials to the villages to reach all within the time set,” said Kamau adding that Kiru and Kamacharia wards  are closer to Kiria ini than Gitugi..

Gitugi residents said they are affected by the distance to Kiria ini market which is a challenge  to the majority.

John Mukunya, 30, and Salome Nyambura ,29,said they delayed registering as voters owing to the long distance to Kiria ini  from their Nyakarengo village, and instead they opted to skip voting  in the previous elections.

“ I took advantage to register after Ahadi Trust management mobilised the villagers  for the voters registration purpose,” said Mukunya.

Nyambura said the electoral body should open up offices in the wards to ensure all are able to reach out for services.

“ I need Sh400 to travel to  the constituency headquarters  which  the majority can not afford, thus need for the parliament to allocate more funds to the IEBC  to launch ward offices,” said Nyambura.

Mathioya IEBC coordinator Caroline Githua  said they have been working closely with the chiefs reaching out to the youth for the registration.

“The electoral body  has been conducting civic education across the villages to educate the residents on their rights to vote, “ she said. 

In the exercise more than 40 youths, the majority aged above 35 registered  for the first time.

 In Murang’a  county, 3,500 people have registered since the voter registration exercise started