Bumula Constituency IEBC Coordinator, Fredrick Owino has called out for voters in Bungoma County to turn out in large numbers and register as voters in the 30-day exercise that started on 4th October 2021 and is expected to end on 2nd November 2021.
In an interview on WEST FM during Suala Nyeti show, Owino confirmed that so far they have registered 23,389 voters out of the 128,461 expected voters as he also expressed his concerns that the number of voters registered was low.
“The progress is good even though the turnout is not as we expected,” he stated
He highlighted the main cause why people don’t turn out to register where he said lack of motivation is among the main reasons since people no longer see the need of voting for leaders and added that Kenyans also demand for payment in order to register.
People think that voting only benefits the political leaders elected. The long distance covered to access a registration station demoralizes them to participate in the process.
”Bungoma county has 45 wards and in every ward we have provided three BVR machines for the voters registration exercise,” he added
In order to overcome these challenges IEBC has come up with BVR kits schedule to ensure that the registration kits are available for people to register at different stations.
The commission has employed people to go around mobilizing people to register as voters.
The mobilisers educate and persuade them to register as voters in preparation for the 2022 general elections apart from that the commission is also using media such as television and radio stations to sensitize people.
The services offered at the stations include: registering new voters; verifying the details of those who had registered in the previous general elections and changing of voters registration stations.
Those who would wish to change voting stations must have national identity card; a copy of national identity card and have been a resident of the new area for six months.
New voting stations have been introduced in the constituencies and voters should check with IEBC headquarters to confirm.
Fredrick called out for politicians, church leaders and new aspirants to come out and mobilise people to participate in the process.
Voting is everyone’s constitutional right and citizens should take charge of electing leaders of their own choice and this can only be achieved by registering as voters.
By Rayzone