IEBC asked to provide mobile registration services in drought-hit areas

Leaders from Baringo County are appealing to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to provide mobile voter registration services to residents of Baringo County, most of whom have abandoned their homes with their cattle in search of water and food.

Residents of the areas worst hit by drought including Baringo North, Mogotio and Baringo South sub counties have moved miles away from their homes and set camp on riverbeds where they are sinking deep wells in the dry valleys to keep up with disappearing water.

Led by Betting Licensing and Controls Board Chair Simion Chelugui, the leaders urged IEBC to follow the citizens into their temporary locations arguing that failure to do so would disenfranchise many in the county.

Baringo County has approximately 10,000 eligible but unregistered voters.

Garissa County Governor Nadhif Jamal has made a similar appeal to the electoral body saying that most of Garissa County residents are on the move searching for water as the drought situation in the country worsens.

Jamal urged IEBC clerks to follow the pastoralist communities into their varying locations pledging his county government support to IEBC.

While releasing the voter registration schedule in Nairobi on Sunday, IEBC Chief Executive Officer – Ezra Chiloba said that the commission has employed a criteria for distribution of BVR kits that would ensure long distances do not discourage potential voters from registering.

IEBC has embarked on a month-long mass voter registration exercise with a target to enroll more than 6 million Kenyans to participate in August polls.

The nationwide exercise that started today, Monday January 16, 2017, will be concluded on February 15, 2017.

Written by Moses Ngugi