Coast voter listing off to slow start

The mass voter registration got off to a slow start in Mombasa, Kwale and Taita Taveta counties yesterday.

There was no registration in Lamu County due to a pending electoral petition in the Supreme Court and neither was there registration in Malindi constituency where a by-election is scheduled for March 7. But the turnout was high in some parts of Mombasa like Kisauni.

Registration in Taita Taveta was so sluggish that some centres recorded zero turnout yesterday. In Wundanyi constituency, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Registration Officer John Mwawasi said the turnout was very poor.

"We expect the turnout to improve as the exercise progresses," he said.

Mr Mwawasi said IEBC was now engaging chiefs, ward administrators, religious and village elders to educate locals on the need to register as voters. In Mwatate, Voi and Taveta constituencies, the situation was the same.

Politicians complained of voter registration apathy among residents. Speaking separately, Taita Taveta Governor John Mruttu and Voi MP Jones Mlolwa urged the youth to register as voters in large numbers. "This is the time for the youth and others who are yet to register as voters to participate in the mass voter registration," said Mr Mruttu yesterday.

"We will conduct door-to-door campaigns to ensure that those eligible to vote register."

Elsewhere Taita Taveta Senator Dan Mwazo has urged opposition leaders to encourage locals to register in large numbers.

IEBC South Coast Regional Corordinator Gogo Nguma remained optimistic that the turnout would get better as the one-month exercise continues.

"Being the first day, we know there will be challenges but we are confident that with heightened media publicity, use of advertising material and public barazas, we shall get new voters flocking to register," he said.

IEBC expects to list 700,000 new voters in the Coast region.