Voter registration apathy is still high in Mt Kenya region, even as the electoral commission once again fell below target for the second week running.
Statistics released late yesterday indicate that the commission only registered 491,968 new voters against a target of three million, highlighting the swirling apathy towards the drive that seeks to recruit six million new voters.
The numbers translate into 15.5 per cent of those the commission had targeted to register in the second week of registrations.
The apathy towards registration is more pronounced in Mt Kenya — the region has so far registered an average of 10 per cent of all those targeted.
With a turnout of 13 per cent of its targeted 230,000 possible unregistered voters, Meru County is the best performer in the region.
The county had, by the end of the second week, registered a paltry 15,286 new voters against a target of 230,000 individuals who reside in the county but have never registered as voters.
The biggest apathy is being witnessed in Nyeri, where only 5,380 have registered against the projected 149,000, translating to just about 7 per cent of the total.
In Muranga, 7,985 new voters have been enrolled out of the total 192,000, Kiambu has only registered 15,044 against a target of 354,000, Kirinyaga has enlisted 6,108 new voters against a target of 114,000, and in Nyandarua, only 4,985 have registered out of a possible 110,000.
The biggest turn -out is being witnessed in arid and semi-arid regions, where it has averaged above 25 per cent. Turkana leads the pack in that regard, with 35 per cent of what the commission had projected registered.
Out of a target of 62,500, the commission has managed to enlist 10, 834 new voters, making it the highest achievement in the two-week exercise. West Pokot, with 8,800 new voters out of the targeted 59,000, is at an estimated 30 per cent of its projected figure.
At 31 per cent, Samburu has recorded 4,420 new voters out of the 27,000, while Mandera, Wajir and Garissa have recorded, 28 per cent, 28 per cent and 26 per cent new voters, respectively.
At 21 per cent, Migori has netted 13,143 new voters out of 126,500, making it the best performing in Nyanza region. Siaya recorded 13,539 against a target of 150,000, Homa Bay 10,528 against 155,000, Kisumu 13,539 against 175,000, Kisii 15,032 against a target of 178,000 and Nyamira 6,975 against a target of 90,000.
In the statement, IEBC boss Wafula Chebukati announced that the commission had received a total of 49,656 requests from individuals seeking to transfer their voting areas.
“The commission would like to remind all registered voters that voter transfer requests will continue being serviced at their constituency of preference,” he said, adding that voters who wish to switch should appear in person before registration officers at the constituency office.
Those who want to switch must carry the originals of their identification documents used to register as a voter.
The commission warned that there will be no voter transfers at Huduma Centres, adding that the kits at the centres have been opened to facilitate registration of new voters to any registration centre of their choice.
The commission has also deployed kits to all universities and institutions of higher learning for registration of voters.
