It has been a week since the voter registration exercise started across the country, and up to now, there is absolutely nothing to smile about. Yesterday being a Sunday, I got a chance to do a spot check in a few of the registration centers within the CBD and the scene was the same across the registration centers.

The turnout was too low to make the IEBC worry about their public awareness strategies. Is it that people are just tired of this government that they don’t even want to participate in elections or is it the last-minute style of doing things for Kenyans?

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has deployed 5,756 BVR kits and a corresponding number of Voter Registration Assistants (VRAs) to conduct the exercise at County Assembly Wards (CAWs) across the country.

I never saw the IEBC carry out massive voter registration awareness campaigns like the last voter registration exercise. And the fact that there are only two BVR kits in every ward, i doubt if the commission will be able to achieve their target of 4 million voters.

Constituency IEBC coordinator Rosemary Njoki said they suspect overall low turnout to be reflective that youths who finished Form Four last year are pursuing short courses such as computer and driving

In majority of the centers, registration clerks have been largely idle due to the few number of people who were visiting them either to register for the first time or change their polling stations. Nairobi county, for example has only registered about 18000 voters in the first week, a number that should have been realized on the first day if the commission were to reach its target.

“We expect the numbers to pick up next week but we are also calling on Kenyans to take this opportunity to register and also hope that the participation of other players like churches and politicians will help,” said IEBC chief Executive Ezra Chiloba.

For those who haven’t registered as voters, kindly read about understanding elections and civic responsibility and go get registered.

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