Ex-IEBC boss Oswago urges investment in voter education to tackle apathy

Former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chief Executive Officer James Oswago on Spice FM. 

Former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chief Executive Officer James Oswago has urged greater investment in voter education to address Kenya’s low voter registration turnout and strengthen democratic participation.

Speaking on Spice FM as IEBC resumed nationwide voter registration, Oswago argued that Kenya’s challenge is not the registration process itself but a lack of public understanding of the sovereignty of the vote.

“You cannot just show up on election day without going through documentation. Voter registration is critical, but it must be preceded by proper voter education,” he said.

He accused Parliament of repeatedly underfunding voter education, dismissing it as a short activity rather than a continuous civic process. “Voter education is very expensive. When we presented budgets, they would be slashed. That’s why voter education, which should come before registration, is rarely done well,” he added.

According to Oswago, effective education would help citizens appreciate Article 1 of the Constitution, which vests all sovereign power in the people. He warned that many Kenyans register “mechanically,” without recognizing the strategic importance of their vote.

“Democracy is nothing if voters don’t realize what that vote means,” he noted, criticizing Parliament’s tendency to fund registration while sidelining education.

On voter apathy, especially among young people, Oswago urged leaders to engage rather than blame them. “Before accusing the youth of failing to register, ask whether you’ve engaged them. They must be helped to transition from activism to civic participation,” he said.

He further stressed that continuous voter registration, as required by the 2010 Constitution, must be accompanied by continuous education. “We must put comparable resources into continuous voter education, not as an afterthought but as a core part of building a democratic culture,” Oswago stated.

Acknowledging public distrust in elections, he urged citizens not to withdraw from the process. “Disenchantment with politics is no reason not to vote. Sitting at home is also voting—it means voting for the status quo,” he said.

Oswago concluded that true voter empowerment lies not in mechanical registration but in civic consciousness. “A vote is a powerful instrument. Its strength comes only when citizens understand the sovereignty behind it,” he said.