Opposition form ward committees to mobilise voters

KISUMU, KENYA: The opposition has now formed ward committees to help mobilize more people to register as voters in large numbers, in a bid to fight voter apathy in its strongholds.

The committees are part of the strategies that the opposition is now seeking to employ to increase its numbers following concerns by opposition Chief Raila Odinga over the slow voter listing.

Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) chairman John Mbadi said that leaders in the Nyanza region will now use the committees to mobilize people to register.

He noted that all leaders in Nyanza are alarmed by the figures released by IEBC indicating that they are still far away from meeting their targets.

"We have observed that the numbers are not so good and that is why we are resorting to the ward committees to help with the mobilization process," said Mbadi.

The chairperson told the Standard that the ward committees will spearhead the mobilization process at the ward level.

"We have looked at the strategies that we have been adopting and we believe that this strategy will help increase the number of people registering as voters," he added.

The committees, he said, are headed by members of parliament who will supervise the mobilization processes at the wards.

Last weekend, ODM chief Raila Odinga read a riots act to the leaders from the Nyanza region for their laxity to mobilize people to register as voters.

The furious Raila is said to have directed the leaders to come up with strategies to make the best out of the few remaining days of the mass voter registration exercise.

Following the meeting, the region has witnessed a flurry of meetings as governors, MPs and MCAs from the region's six counties held separate meetings with party officials and various group leaders to craft new strategies to help mobilize people to register as voters.

And now, ODM chairman said that the ward committees which will also include MCAs are going to be instrumental in the mobilization exercise for the remaining days.

"We want the ward committees to help with the process of mobilizing people to come out and register as voters," said Mbadi.

Nyakach MP Aduma Owuor said that the leaders agreed to work with all the relevant stakeholders to help in the bid to increase the number of registered voters.