Alarm As IEBC Closes Week 3 with 800,462 New Voters Against 4.5 Million Target

Low turnout continues to be witnessed in the ongoing Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration (ECVR) across the country even as the exercise enters the homestretch.

In the latest update issued by the Commission Chairman Wafula Chebukati, IEBC managed to register a total of 800,462 new voters as of 5pm Monday out of the projected week three target of 4.5 million.

“Further, the Commission has serviced a total of 125,266 transfer requests from the existing voters,” Chebukati added.

Press Release: Update on Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration – Week 3https://t.co/SqUsz59wx9

Registered Voters – County https://t.co/K3N4WfQ18L
Registered Voters – Contituencyhttps://t.co/JmQc8rVnO1
Registered Voters – Ward https://t.co/pmR3ClsWex#ECVR2021 as at 24/10/21 pic.twitter.com/5Jb9FRwta3

— IEBC (@IEBCKenya) October 25, 2021

The exercise, which kicked off on October 4, is scheduled to close on November 2, 2021, in all the 1,450 County Assembly Wards (CAW). The Commission targets to register six million voters by the end of the exercise.

By the close of week 2 on October 18, the Commission had registered a total of 491,968 new voters out of a target of 3 million. The commission said then that the number represented a 15.7 per cent achievement.

Read: IEBC Falls Short of Weekly Target of 1.5 Million New Voters as Only 202,518 Listed

In week one, the electoral body only managed to add 202,518 new voters to its register against a 1.5 million target.

The IEBC boss attributed the low turnout recorded in most parts of the country to voter apathy, insecurity in parts of Lamu, Baringo and Laikipia Counties as well as along Kenya-Somalia borders and lack of National Identity Cards by a population that have reached the age of 18 years above.

The culture of last-minute rush where Kenyans go for exercises when deadlines approach is another reason the electoral body said contributed to the low numbers.

Chebukati encouraged Kenyans to take advantage of the listing exercise so as to be able to participate in the General Election slated for August 9, 2022.

Also Read: Catholic Bishops Urge IEBC To Expedite Recruitment of Substantive CEO

“In 2017, the Commission took note that Kenyans did not optimally utilize the early days to register. The consequence was a mad rush and long queues in the last days to the close of the registration drive. Let us reverse this trend by shedding off the tag of ‘last-minute Kenyan rush,” he said then.

“The Commission calls upon all Kenyan leaders across the board; both State and Non-State actors to go out of their way in assisting the Commission mobilize eligible citizens to register as voters.”

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