IEBC falls behind target for voter registration

By Moses Njagih

NAIROBI; KENYA: The electoral commission fell short of netting its targeted 3.7 million registered voters by close to one million potential voters, even as it struggles to overcome challenges posed by the newly-introduced Biometric Voter Registration system.

Figures released by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) as the exercise entered the second week on Monday revealed that 2,795,604 Kenyans had registered to vote by last Saturday.

The commission announced that the figure was only 75 per cent of its target of 3,725,850 that it had set for the period. The exercise has been slowed down by challenges in voter listing due to failure of the BVR kits in some areas and insecurity in others.

According to the statistics released when the commission gave its updates on Monday, Thika region has registered the highest number of voters, among the 17 regions, having netted 294, 572 voters with the 975 BVR kits within the area.

Despite having 1,457 kits, Nairobi has registered only 271,572 voters within the period, translating to a lowly per kit output average of 186 compared to Thika’s 302.

Kakamega region came third in the number of those registered, recording 232,300 voters, while Central Rift and North Rift regions with 230, 613 and 211,282 voters came fourth and fifth respectively.

Mandera Wajir and Upper Eastern regions had recorded the least number of voters with only 23,023 and 24,294 voters turning up to register.

Also recording less than 100,000 voters within the period is Garissa (32,326) and North Coast (92,400).

Although the commission missed its target, it would be encouraged by the figures recorded within the five days as it seeks to register at least 18 million voters for the March 4 General Election.

Commission Chairman Issack Hassan has been lobbying politicians to mobilise their supporters to turn-up and register to avoid a situation where many may wait until the last week of the 30-day exercise to flock registration centres.

When the exercise was launched last week, Hassan urged Kenyans to avoid the last-minute rush and appealed to other stakeholders to join hands with IEBC in encouraging voters to turn out.

“Just as they say that a war is too crucial to be left to the generals, I would say that voter registration, and indeed elections, are too crucial to only be left in the hands of IEBC,” said Hassan.

Cause for alarm

In the past week, the commission has experienced several challenges after it kicked off the exercise, with some areas complaining that the BVR machines were not working, as they were faulty. In one area in Kwale, the commission had to recruit new clerks after those who had been engaged quit, expressing security fears in the region where members of the Mombasa Republican Council had warned local residents against taking part in voter registration.

But even as the IEBC faced these challenges, it remained optimistic that it would meet its target of 18 million registered voters by close of the exercise on December 18.

“We anticipated that there would be challenges as these BVR kits are machines and do not have a 100 per cent guarantee of performance, but there is no cause for alarm as there are back-ups in cases where the machines are faulty,” said IEBC Corporate Communication Manager Ms Tabitha Mutemi.

The release of the weekly figures came as Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi challenged the electoral body to explain the criteria it used in distributing the kits.

Speaking in Nyeri on Monday, Mudavadi complained that unless the commission explains how it distributed the 25,000 kits, the credibility of the ongoing voter registration exercise would be put to question.

He spoke as Special Programmes Minister, Esther Murugi and assistant minister Kabando wa Kabando said the turnout witnessed in many parts of Kenya was worrying, and an indicator that IEBC may not meet its 18 million target.

In Bomachoge Borabu constituency, only 12,000 people had registered as voters by last Sunday against the 40,000 voters targeted by the commission.

The area’s Constituency Elections Coordinator Gilbert Serem said there were challenges in the first two days, but the kits were all functional in the 66 registration centres in the constituency. In the newly created Bomachoge Chache constituency, only 6,000 voters had registered by Sunday evening. Area elections coordinator Wesley Ruto said the turnout was low and asked residents to avoid a last- minute rush.

“We have a challenge on Fridays and Saturdays which experience the lowest turnout as most people are members of the Seventh Day Adventist church. On these days, most registration centres remain idle, but we hope residents can turn out and register before the deadline,” said Serem. In Bondo, 20,012 have been registered with a target of 73,437 at the end of the exercise.

Failed to work

Rose Obari, the Bondo Constituency IEBC coordinator, said they expected to surpass the target. But she complained that many people who had applied for their ID cards had not collected the same from registration centres. Gem constituency has registered 20,391 so far and it expects to register about 74,000 at the end of the exercise.

IEBC coordinator in Rarieda, Hilda Imbo said they had registered a total of 17,817 against a target of 62,969 voters. 

She said that they had so far recorded 28 per cent of the total number of voters in the constituency

In some parts of Turkana County, the exercise was disrupted after the BVR kits failed to work.

The low turnout of voters has been experienced in Loima and some parts of Turkana Central where the BVR machines, which use solar energy, failed to work.

“The turnout of voters in the area was fairly good in Loima district, but some remote areas have experienced failure of machines,” District Officer (DOI) Bernard Odino said.

In Vihiga and Lurambi constituencies, the commission has surpassed its weekly target.

Godfrey Engor, the Election Coordinator in Vihiga, said their target was 10,600 voters, but a total of 10,706 turned up in the first week of the registration exercise.

His Lurambi counterpart, Gideon Balang’ echoed his sentiments, saying the station’s daily target is 2,500 voters and in most days, they have exceeded the number. Balang’ said their weekly target is 18,000, which they had exceeded.