IEBC MEETS EMBU ASSEMBLY IN BID TO ARREST VOTER REGISTRATION APATHY

 Members of the County Assembly of Embu held a consultative meeting with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) over concerns of low voter registration turnout in the county.

IEBC Commissioner Justus Nyang’aya who was flanked by Embu County Elections Manager Daniel Lenarum said the ongoing voter registration which was part of the preparations for next year’s General Election had caused concern over extremely low numbers of new voters registering.

With barely one week to go, IEBC’s latest figures indicate that the entire Embu County has registered a paltry 8,962 voters as at 26^th October 2021. The IEBC is now seeking the help of MCAs to drum up support for the exercise, stating that being at the grassroots with the Mwananchi, they are the most appropriate stakeholders.

Runyenjes Constituency has registered a total of 2,703. At the Ward level, Gaturi North has registered 341, Runyenjes Central 564, Kagaari North 525, Kagaari South 353, Kyeni North 457 and Kyeni South has 463 newly registered voters.

In Manyatta constituency, 3,649 new voters have been registered. Kirimari Ward leads with a total of 1,960 new voters, Ruguru-Ngandori 362, Kithimu 333, Nginda 393, Mbeti North 274 and Gaturi South 297.

New voters

Mbeere South Constituency has 1,546 new voters with Mbeti South having registered 500, Mwea 217, Makima 276, Mavuria 351 and Kiambere 202 while in Mbeere North Constituency 1,064 voters have been newly registered. At ward level, Evurore takes the lead with 469 new voters, Nthawa 343 and Muminji 252.

The IEBC has however said that the numbers are extremely low and need extra mobilisation for the expected target of over 4.5 Million voters to be met. The electoral body is however keen to announce that continuous voter registration would go on until six months to the elections.

Commissioner Nyang’aya revealed that between 2018 and September 2021, a total of 4.5Million new Identity Cards had been issued to youths who were eligible to register as voters but expressed worry that only 140,000 had managed to register as voters.

County Assembly Speaker Josiah Thiriku and his Deputy; Runyenjes Central MCA Steve Simba took turns to criticise the IEBC for what they termed as using the wrong strategy to mobilise young people to register as voters.

The leaders opined that the engagement between the electoral body and IEBC ought to have taken place long before the registration exercise began instead of attempting to salvage the situation when it was already too late.

STORY By MWINGI TIMES CORRESPONDENT, EDITED By MUSYOKA NGUI