West Pokot leaders have called on residents to ensure they register as voters in the ongoing national voter registration exercise to ensure the community has a higher bargaining power in the coming general elections.
The leaders convened a meeting with chiefs and other senior provincial administration officer to give direction on how to ensure all legible residents are registered all over the county.
Correctional services Permanent Secretary Micah Powon said the government has given proper instructions to chiefs and their assistants to ensure the exercise is a success all over the county.
He called on the administrators to conduct civic education to residents to ensure they are registered before the end of the exercise.
“We have held a successful meeting to ensure we have many registered in the ongoing exercise. This is an important national exercise and we urge all with identity cards to go and register,” said Powon.
Governor Simon Kachapin said the County government has partnered with the provincial administration to ensure the exercise is well conducted in the County.
Kachapin called on the chiefs not to be compromised by political leaders who have hidden agenda in the voter listing exercise.
The County boss said he was confident Jubilee party will scoop majority of the elective seats in the coming election while urging residents to support President Uhuru Kenyatta’s reelection bid.
“We will deliver all the seats in the County to ensure President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy Ruto are re-elected. We are firmly in the government to stay,” said Kachapin.
The leaders said more than 50,000 voters have been targeted to register in the voter listing exercise.
However, a section of KANU leaders from West Pokot County have faulted the Party’s announcement that it will give its political direction in two weeks time on whether to support President Uhuru Kenyatta’s re-election bid or back the opposition in the forthcoming general election.
The leaders said that they will support Uhuru Kenyatta and their support is not negotiable citing that the sentiments expressed by the party’s secretary general Nick Salat were uncalled for.
Led by West Pokot KANU Vice Chairperson Mr. Christopher Lonyala, the leaders rubbished the party’ s Secretary General Nick Salat’s decision citing that it is a personal decision.
“KANU has massive support from West Pokot and our direction is that we support Uhuru Kenyatta. We don’t want his arrogance,” he said.
He said that they propose former East Africa Legislator Augustine Monges Lotodo to take over as the KANU Secretary General during the National council of delegates.
“We support the late Pokot spokesperson Francis Lotodo’s son who was also Martha Karua’s running mate in 2013. He is the son of Pokot and we want him to capture the seat of the Secretary General,” he said.