Raila’s warning to CORD on 2017 elections

CORD supporters in Western and Nyanza regions must get national identity cards and register to vote or forget winning the 2017 General Election.

This warning was delivered by CORD and ODM’s Raila Odinga when he and other CORD leaders urged their supporters to get voter cards in readiness for what he said will be an epic contest in 2017.

An opinion poll by Ipsos shows that Western Kenya has the lowest voter awareness in Kenya.

Raila was addressing mourners at the burial of Joan Argwings Kodhek, the widow of former freedom fighter Argwings CMGKodhek, in Gem, Siaya County.

Lack of national identification cards and poor voter registration in Western and Nyanza regions are worrying leaders of the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD).

CORD co-principal and ODM leader Raila Odinga made an impassioned plea to his supporters in Nyanza to register as voters in readiness for the 2017 General Election.

He asked the residents to obtain IDs and register as voters in large numbers, saying the mother of all political battles - the 2017 elections - was approaching fast.

Raila emphasised that Nyanza residents must register in large numbers as voters to give him a headstart in his bid to become Kenya's fourth Head of State.

"You can be our foot soldiers only when you have IDs and voter cards. You must therefore take the voter registration process seriously," he reiterated.

Analysts have partly blamed Raila's loss to President Uhuru Kenyatta in the last election to low voter turnout in Western and Nyanza regions.

An opinion poll by Ipsos Synovate shows that Western Kenya has the lowest voter awareness levels in Kenya.

The pollster said only 10 per cent of residents in the region were aware of any ongoing voter registration in their locality since the 2013 elections.

He was addressing mourners at the burial of Joan Argwings Kodhek, the widow of former freedom fighter Argwings CMG Kodhek, in Gem, Siaya County.

"Current records indicate that the people from the Jubilee strongholds have registered for IDs and voter cards more than those from CORD zones. This should change because, as you all know, leadership is captured through votes," Raila said.

Speaking separately to The Standard, Ford Kenya Secretary General Eseli Simiyu pressed the Government to speed up the issuing of IDs, arguing that voter registration awareness alone was not helpful.

"Voter registration awareness doesn't help unless people have IDs. Yet for those who applied for IDs, only a few have received them. The rest are still stuck in Nairobi," said Simiyu.

Nyatike MP Omondi Anyanga (ODM) accused CORD legislators of not doing enough to rally their supporters to take up IDs and register as voters.

"We have a golden opportunity to ensure that we tell our supporters across the country to get IDs so that they can register as voters to cast their ballot in 2017. We are tired of saying our victory was stolen," Mr Anyanga said.

Eligible persons

Lugari MP Ayub Savula, whose party UDF is in the Amani Coalition, agreed with Anyanga.

He said Busia, Trans Nzioa, Kakamega, Bungoma and Vihiga counties could get at least six million votes if all eligible persons registered.

"I am only leading the Western region to register as voters. If all the eligible voters registered, we shall have a stake in the next government. The only problem is most of the people who have applied for IDs have not received them," said Mr Savula.

Raila has already declared he will make a fourth stab at the Presidency in 2017, although his colleagues in CORD, former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, his running mate in the 2013 polls, and Senate Minority Leader Moses Wetang'ula insist that they, too, are in the race.

Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo asked residents not to lose hope, saying Raila had better chances to be President in 2017.

"You know how far we have come. We are almost getting to our destination and therefore registering for IDs is not a favour," he said.

"We have one chance to win the Presidency but if we don't register as voters, then we will lose it. We have enough votes from Western and Nyanza region to boost Raila's bid," he added.