A concern has been raised over a low number of locals in Uasin Gishu County that have turned out to be enlisted as voters in the ongoing national Mass Voter Registration exercise.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) launched the exercise about a month ago, and it is only a few days remaining before it ends.
While IEBC was targeting to register over 6 million new voters, the exercise has generally recorded a few numbers of people registered, across the country.
In Uasin Gishu County, the electoral body had targeted over 166,000 new voters but as of Saturday, only 16.2 percent had been registered.
It is this low number of new voters registered so far that has prompted Uasin Gishu County Assembly Chief Whip David Sing’oei to urge eligible youths and other locals to take advantage of the mass voter registration and enlist themselves.
In an interview with Uasin Gishu News in Eldoret town, Sing’oei who is also the Ng’enyilel Member of County Assembly (MCA) said the low number of people coming out to register as voters were worrying.
He said only 27,000 new voters have so far been registered in the county.
“At this rate, we might not even reach 30,000 new voters registered which means many eligible people will not be participating in making that key decision on who becomes their next leaders in 2022,” noted Sing’oei.
The MCA who is eyeing the Uasin Gishu gubernatorial seat in the upcoming general election now wants IEBC to consider extending the period for the Mass Voter Registration exercise.
He, however, asked locals to take advantage of the remaining few days and register as voters.
“If it will not be possible for the exercise to be extended, those who will not have enlisted should do so by visiting IEC Sub County offices where registration of new voters will still be ongoing,” noted Sing’oei who is serving his second term as a Ward Representative.
“If we can even hit 50 percent of what IEBC was targeting here, it will be better,” he added.
As per 2017 IEBC data, Uasin Gishu had over 450,000 registered voters, and politicians in the county were hoping to take advantage of the Mass Voter Registration exercise to increase the number to at least 600,000.
