NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 3 – Close to six million people have been registered as voters in two weeks according to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
A statement from the commission on Monday said the number represented 33 percent of the estimated Kenyan voting population.
Nairobi County leads with the most number of those registered at 632, 145 out of an estimated voting population of about 1.5 million people followed by neighboring Kiambu County with 329, 340 people registered out of 756,773 estimated eligible voters.
Nakuru County comes in third place with 307,687 registered voters.
Counties in Northern Kenya still have low numbers with Marsabit recording the lowest numbers at 14,344; Lamu County with 22,272 out of an estimated voting population of 47,337 while Samburu County has so far registered 34,980.
Wajir County has 56,728 registered while Mandera has achieved 57,534 voters in two weeks.
Other counties with steadily rising numbers include Kakamega with 266,155, Meru which had registered 202,388, Bungoma County with184, 479, Kisii with190,259, Busia, 123, 615 and Siaya County with 178,243.
Tharaka Nithi County has registered 68,889, Baringo 81,768, Machakos 125, 685, Makueni 108,365, Kitui 115,669, Laikipia 65,844, Garissa 54, 838 and Vihiga 91,600.
At the coast Kilifi has recorded 126, 285, Tana River 32,962 while Mombasa has 146,876 out of an estimated half a million voters.
Out of the 22 million eligible voters, IEBC aims to register at least 18 million Kenyans by the end of the 30 day period on December 18.
Meanwhile, Vice president Kalonzo Musyoka who registered on Monday in Tseikuru once again appealed to Kenyans to vote for leaders irrespective of ethnic and political backgrounds in the next elections.
He expressed concern at the manner in which residents in many parts of the country were turning up in small numbers to register barely two weeks before the deadline of the exercise.
The VP made a passionate appeal to all Kenyans to make use of the ongoing biometric voter registration to enlist in large numbers so as to participate in the forthcoming General Election.
He said the biometric voter registration exercise will ensure names of ghost voters do not appear in the register.
Musyoka at the same time directed the department of Registration of Persons to move with speed and ensure Kenyans over the age of 18 and who have applied for IDs are given within the shortest time possible so that they can participate in voter listing exercise.
“It has become clear that thousands of Kenyans are yet to get IDs especially now that the country is preparing for elections,” he said.
About The Author
