The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has announced that a total of 250,391 Kenyans have registered as new voters so far.
Speaking during a recent interview, IEBC Commissioner Alutalala Mukhwana noted that the majority of these new registrations come from urban and peri-urban areas.
According to Mukhwana, Nairobi, Kiambu, Machakos, Nakuru, and Mombasa are leading the country in new voter enrollments.
Kenya’s IEBC Reports Thousands of New Voter Registrations. Photo: Courtesy.
“As of today, we have registered 250,391 new voters. The new enrollments are principally in the urban areas and the peri-urban areas; Nairobi is leading, followed by Kiambu, Machakos, Nakuru, and Mombasa,” Mukhwana noted.
On the other hand, voter registration is reported to be lowest in Isiolo, Mandera, and Tana River counties.
The commissioner encouraged eligible citizens across the country to register ahead of the upcoming elections, emphasizing the importance of participation in the democratic process.
He went on to attribute the low voter registration numbers in Isiolo, Mandera, and Tana River counties to low population density and migration patterns in these areas.
Mukhwana also highlighted that youth engagement in the registration still remains in the ongoing mass voter registration.
He further noted that the overall percentage of youth stands at 32.65 percent of the newly registered voters.
“Youth engagement as of today remains low, but the overall percentage of the youth 35 and below stands at 32.65% of this new registration. 18-20-year-olds are the worst hit. We only have 67,808. There is low motivation or awareness, which means we need to have civic education,” Mukhwana added.
This development comes as the young people are mobilizing themselves under the Niko Kadi campaign to register themselves as voters.
