IEBC campaign to target young voters

IEBC chair Wafula Chebukati (second left), vice chair Ms Consolata Nkatha Bucha Maina (left) Commissioners Dr Roselyn K. Akombe (second right) with Ms Margaret Wanjala Mwachanya during a press conference. (Photo: Courtesy)

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), in partnership with IFES, has rolled out a campaign to educate, engage and motivate the youth to participate in the August 2017 General Election.

Under the banner of Y-VOTE (Youth Vote), the campaign the initiative aims at using social media and on-ground activations to rally 18-29 year olds to come out and vote on August 8th. The slogan “Youth Twendeni Tukavote” is a Swahili slang for “Youth, let’s go and Vote”

The Y-VOTE road-show caravan was flagged off on June 20 from Kangemi’s Kihumbu-ini grounds, Nairobi, by IEBC Commissioner Margaret Mwachanya. The campaign will run until 28th July, 2017.

 “The IEBC is committed to conducting elections in a peaceful environment where the voice of all voters are heard equally, regardless of age, gender or social status,” Commissioner Mwachanya. She noted that IEBC has a special role to in educating first-time voters on the electoral process.

The Y-VOTE caravan will traverse 17 counties across the country, motivating the youth with door-to-door canvassing, interactive voter education games, distribution of voter education material and community dialogue. The activation campaign targets areas with a high number of first time voters. It also targets areas with typically low voter turnout and to stem the high number of spoilt votes.

Y-VOTE ads are running on digital platforms – Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to educate and motivate youth to vote.