A statement from the commission said the number represented a 75 percent success rate against their target to register 3.7 million voters by last Saturday/FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 26 – The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) says it registered some 2.8 million people in the first week of countrywide voter listing ahead of the March 4, 2013 general election.
A statement from the commission said the number represented a 75 percent success rate against their target to register 3.7 million voters by last Saturday.
IEBC’s Communications and Corporate Affairs Manager Tabitha Mutemi said out of 17 regions where 14,607 Biometric Voter Registration kits were used, Thika, Nairobi, Kakamega, North Rift and South Nyanza registered at least 200,000 voters each.
Mandera/Wajir, Garissa and Upper Eastern regions recorded the lowest turnout.
Thika leads the pack with 294,569 voters, followed by Nairobi with 271,572; Kakamega 232,300 voters while Mandera/ Wajir registered 23,023 voters, Upper Eastern registered 24,234 voters and Garissa 32,326 voters.
Thika registered 302 voters per 975 kits allocated. Kakamega registered 276 voters per 842 kits deployed while Mandera/Wajir had 632 voters per 36 kits, Upper Eastern 169 from 144 kits allocated.
The voter registration which kicked off on November 19 has encountered some setbacks including rains, software security challenges, power outages, plus the military operations in Turkana and Garissa.
There have been calls for the government to ensure adequate security is provided during the voter registration particularly in Garissa, the Tana Delta, Turkana and the Coast where security lapses have occurred in the recent past.
Several MPs including Justice Minister Eugene Wamalwa had called for the suspension of the ongoing disarmament exercise in Turkana County until the voter registration is complete.
It follows an ill-planned security operation at Suguta valley that left over 40 officers dead.
In the North Coast 92,400 voters were registered while South Coast had 135,683. The regions had registered 556 voters and 712 voters from 191 and 166 kits respectively.
Out of the 22 million eligible voters, the commission aims to register at least 18 million Kenyans by the end of the 30 day period on December 18. Fifteen thousand kits were distributed countrywide for the registration.
In Central and the Rift Valley regions Nyeri had 179,854 (261 voters per 690 kits), Central Rift 230,613 (218 voters per 1057) and South Rift 135,683 (198 voters per 859 kits).
Other regions include Bungoma, 182,932 voters (228 voters per 804 kits), Nyanza Central 194,591 (184 voters per 1055 kits) and Lower Eastern registered 194,421 voters (171 voters per 1139 kits allocated).
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