Joho pulls crowds, rallies Nairobi residents to register as voters
Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho joined fellow leaders in rallying Kenyans to register in the ongoing mass voter registration.
Speaking in Nairobi's Kiamaiko area on Saturday, October 9, Joho asked residents to register as voters ahead of the August 2022 elections.
"Kura Yako, Nguvu Yako. Today we took the 001 voter registration sensitisation exercise to Kiamaiko in Nairobi County, where I also conveyed a similar message and heartfelt greetings from my party leader Baba Raila Amolo Odinga," Joho said.
His visit to Nairobi comes after Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairman Wafula Chebukati said the electorate body aims at netting at least six million voters in the 30-day exercise.
“I urge all eligible Kenyans who have not registered as voters to turn up in large numbers and register,” IEBC chair Wafula Chebukati said.
Joho joins Deputy President William Ruto and Amani National Congress (ANC) party leader Musalia Mudavadi in rallying Kenyans to register as voters.
Through a Public Announcement Statement (PSA) video shared on his Twitter page, Mudavadi urged the youth to register and vote in the 2022 elections stating that their future is in their hands.
“Vijana, taifa letu liko katika njia panda. Tumefuliza ya kutosha. Sasa ni wakati wa kujipanga upya na kujijenga,” Mudavadi said in the video posted on Friday, October 8.
In his own unique way, Ruto shared a video of himself on Twitter where he was chatting with his wife Rachel Ruto on Facebook messenger asking if one of their children is registered as a voter.
“Hey Rachael, by the way, has Cullie ever registered as a voter?” Ruto wrote in the chat with his wife, adding, “well, I guess there’s always a first time.”
After sending his wife the message, Ruto proceeded with his message to the youth, rallying them to register as voters.
“Wangwana, decisions about your life are being made every day without you being at the table,” the DP said before informing viewers of the ongoing 30-day mass voter registration.
However, the recent call to action by leaders asking Kenyans to register as voters comes as IEBC decries of poor funding meant for the August 2022 polls.
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.
