Details of how IEBC missed target in first week of voter registration

IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati. [File, Standard]

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has registered about 202,518 new voters out of the weekly target of 1,500,000 since the exercise began on October 4.

This represents about 13.5 per cent of the total target, which according to the IEBC, were occasioned by a list of challenges relative to every region.

The revelations come in the backdrop of the Commission’s target to register about six million new voters ahead of the 2022 General Election.

In a statement dated October 11, the electoral body’s Chairman Wafula Chebukati says during the first week of the exercise, a total of 5,206 requests for voter transfer were serviced.

“The Commission targets to register 6 million new eligible Kenyans, on the basis of information from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census report. The target was disaggregated to each County, Constituency and County Assembly Ward to enable monitoring of progress,” his statement read in part.

According to Chebukati, the exercise faced challenges of voter apathy,

“The Commission shall continue to explore solutions to these identified challenges in collaboration with all stakeholders in the electoral process,” Chebukati added.

Insecurity in parts of Lamu, Baringo and Laikipia Counties as well as along Kenya-Somalia borders, Lack of National Identity Cards by the eligible population and the last-minute rush where go for exercises when deadlines approach are some of the challenges the IEBC officials have encountered so far.. 

Samburu, Elgeyo Marakwet, Wajir, West Pokot and Mandera were listed as counties with the highest percentage of new voter registration targets.

An excerpt of IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati's statement showing ten counties with the highest number of voter registration in the last week. [Courtesy]

Of importance to note was that urban counties registered the lowest new voter registration percentages. They include Mombasa, Nairobi, Kirinyaga, Embu and Laikipia. 

An excerpt of IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati's statement showing the counties that have registered the lowest voters in the past week. [Courtesy]

The IEBC’S 30-day nationwide voter registration exercise kicked off on Monday, October 4, 2021.

The national launch of the exercise was done in Nakuru town at the Nakuru Athletic Club (NAC) presided over by IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati.