Central Kenya leaders challenge youth to register as voters

Leaders from Central Kenya are rallying young people to come out in large numbers and register for both national identity and voters’ cards as the country gears towards the 2017 General Elections.

Murang’a Senator Kembi Gitura and Starehe MP Maina Kamanda cautioned the masses against last minute rush registration.

“It is a democratic duty of every Kenyan who is above 18 years to claim their citizenship and to apply for a voter registration card thereafter,” said Senator Gitura.

Gitura said the remaining time to the 2017 General Elections is limited and called on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to fast-track its operations including voter registration and education.

“We may think there is a lot of time between now and the next election, but this is not the case. The challenge we give to the IEBC is to ensure there is enough machines and equipment to enable every Kenyan who wants to register as a voter to do so.”

Gitura, who was speaking in Murang’a County, challenged the electorate to come out in large numbers and vote for leaders who will steer development in their respective areas.

The challenge by Gitura, who also doubles up as the Senate Deputy Speaker, to IEBC comes barely a month after the electoral body announced that the registration of voters will take place between February 15th, 2016 and end on March 15th, 2016.

And for the first time, Kenyan voters in Diaspora will participate in the elections and will be registered between March 10th and 24th, 2017.

This is the first time in history Kenyan voters in Diaspora will take part in the election process without necessarily having to travel back home.

IEBC chair Ahmed Issack Hassan said that any country with 3,000 Kenyans residing there qualifies as a polling station.

The voters in the Diaspora can only vote for the President and a referendum.

A citizen residing outside Kenya will be required to apply for registration as a voter in person to a registration officer appointed by the commission and at a designated centre by filling the prescribed form.

However, the IEBC chair noted that the commission would have commenced the exercise this year but suffers budgetary constraints.