IEBC faults low budget as voter enlisting begins
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) yesterday pleaded with the government to consider increasing its funding, to enable it adequately prepare for next year’s General Election.
Chairman Wafula Chebukati said operations including the 30-day enhanced continuous voter registration across the country, has been affected by low budgetary allocation from the National Treasury.
Speaking during the official launch of the exercise in Nakuru County, Chebukati said due to limited resources, the commission only managed to procure 4,350 registration kits to be used across the 1,460 wards in the country, adding that each ward will have three kits.
Chebukati said IEBC has been forced to use the limited budget to ensure the preparations for next year’s polls are not affected.
He said IEBC has come up with a kit movement in the wards for a smooth transition.
“These kits will go round the wards in all the registration centres. We do not have sufficient funds to procure more kits for all polling stations,” said Chebukati.
At the end of the exercise, Chebukati said the commission is targeting at least six million new voters to add up to the existing 19.6 million voters. The exercise will be carried out until November 2.
Apart from the gazetted IEBC registration centres, Chebukati said Huduma Centres will also provide the service.
“All 52 wards Huduma Centres countrywide will be open such that anyone who wishes to register, will be allowed to select a registration centre of their choice and details captured to the relevant centre,” he added.
He said IEBC will make arrangements for the kits to be sent to universities and institutions of higher learning in electoral areas they are located, to cater for learners who are studying away from home.
Embrace peace
Chebukati said students will be able to register from the institutions.
“ Students do not have to travel back to their rural homes. It will save Kenyans the trouble of traveling to register,” he said..
He added: “Information will be relayed to their respective constituencies, you do not have to move home to be listed as a voter, even the adults and non-students living away from their preferred voting areas can choose where they want to vote from.”
Chebukati called on Kenyans to embrace peace as the country gears towards the polls saying a peaceful environment will promote democracy.
The chairman while pledging his commitment to provide a free, fair and credible General Election, assured Kenyans that the commission was working round the clock with the stakeholders to improve voter experience.
Echoing the same sentiments, Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui said there was need to embrace peace.
He cautioned leaders against use of toxic and foul language while visiting the region noting that the same goes against the expectations of peace and unity.
“My plea is to the youth. Do not be blinded by leaders who have nothing progressive for you other than inciting and preaching hate. Listen to agendas that will uplift you,” said Kinyanjui.
The county boss took a swipe at the government for locking out international communities from providing support to IEBC on the guise that the country was able to fund the commission, yet the budget allocation is still low.
Others present at the function were the acting Canadian High Commissioner, deputy British High Commissioner and Germany High Commissioner representative. The envoys called on Kenyans to promote peace and participate in the election .
In Mombasa,low turnout marked day one of the enhanced voter registration exercise. This is even as various leaders embarked on an online voters mobilisation drive calling on more people to register.
IEBC’s Mvita sub county registration officer Neema Karisa said 17 Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) kits were deployed, three in every ward and one kit at Huduma Centre to target Kenyans from all regions.
“We had technical hitches at the beginning, especially in logging in, but the process normalised and registration continued,” said Karisa.
Karisa also confirmed that the exercise simultaneously took place in other sub-counties namely Jomvu,Nyali,Likoni, Kisauni and Mvita.
Mvita targets to record 24,651 new members on top of the 2017 national registry. In Jomvu, area legislator Badi Twalib is among those who took the lead in voter mobilisation. He urged youth to turn up in large numbers to register as voters before the end of the 30 days period.
In Nyeri, National Assembly Budget Committee chair Kanini Kega said the exchequer struggled to get money to fund the exercise thus stressing on the need to utilise the said period to the fullest.
Kega who spoke at Kanyagia Registration centre.said the government does not have other funds to allow an extension period of the registration exercise.
In Kakamega,the exercise faced a low-turn out with IEBC attributing the situation to “normal challenges of the first day.”
Rally the masses
Kenya Electricity Transmission Company Chief Executive Officer Fernandes Barasa who is seeking to succeed Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya used his private trucks to mobilise the residents, to register as voters.
Businessman Fred Ikana who is eyeing the Shinyalu parliamentary seat took to both social media and used his troops on the ground to rally the masses.
In Tana River, the exercise commenced amid the ongoing drought with IEBC targeting to enlist 27,178 people.
Mohamed Raka; the county election manager speaking in Hola said cognizant of the fact that many pastoralists have migrated to Tana Delta and Lamu County, they will make efforts to reach them.
IEBC targets 10,000, 7678 and 8700 voters in Garsen, Galole and Bura constituencies respectively. Tana River had 118,474 registered voters in the 2017 polls.
In Migori, the commission targets some 89,000 new voters. County IEBC manager Charles Mutai said his office has recruited enough registration clerks for the exercise.
