Don’t give food to teenage youth who shun the voter’s card – Raila

ODM leader Raila Odinga addresses mourners during the burial of Dr Odhiambo Olel in Kabondo Kasipul, Homa Bay County on Friday. [Courtesy]

Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga on Friday, January 21 told Homa Bay residents to deny their adult children food until they register as voters.

“Young people who are yet to register as voters should not be given food until they take the [voter’s] card. Adults who don’t have the voter’s card are a letdown to Kenya,” he said.

The former prime minister was in Kabondo Kasipul, Homa Bay County for the burial of his late father’s personal doctor Odhiambo Olel.  

According to Odinga, Nyanza region has been registering low number of new voters every time the electoral board, IEBC, opens the voter-registration exercise.

In a month-long voter-enrollment exercise, that ended in November 2021, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) revealed that it had added 1.5 million new voters to the register.

Odinga claims Nyanza posted poor numbers in the new registrations.

“If you visit our opponents’ regions, the youth in those areas are registering as voters in big numbers. However, when you come to Homa Bay and Kisumu, only a handful have enrolled as voters.”

The ODM chief attended the burial with his wife Ida, the head of his campaigns Laikipia Governor Ndiritu Muriithi, among others.