Nairobi: Garissa county leaders have called for concerted efforts to mobilize the residents into registering for National Identity cards and for voter cards ahead of next year’s general elections. This collective push seeks to boost the region’s political bargaining power and secure its fair share of national resources, which leaders note depends heavily on voter turnout and registered numbers.
According to Kenya News Agency, the 2019 census indicated that Garissa County had a population of 841,353, while the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) reported a total of 201,473 registered voters in 2022. Additionally, the National Registration Bureau (NRB) has noted that Garissa County possesses at least 328,000 national ID card holders, leaving more than 100,000 residents yet to register as voters.
NRB’s Northeastern regional coordinator Mukora Muriungi stated that the bureau processed and delivered 18,541 IDs for newly registered individuals during the 2024/2025 financial year, and 28,871 IDs in 2025/2026. Despite the abolishment of the ID vetting process in the northeastern region by the president, Garissa governor Nathif Jama expressed concerns over the low registration rates for national IDs among the residents.
Governor Jama, during a stakeholder meeting that included the Garissa county commissioner, deputy county commissioners, assistant county commissioners, chiefs and their assistants, Registrars of persons, officials from the IEBC, and county government, emphasized the need for mobile registration centers to reach residents in remote areas. He stressed that the region is failing in both ID card and voter registration, which affects their political influence and resource allocation.
Garissa county commissioner John Cheruiyot assured continuous support from the NGAO team for ID registration at the grassroots level, highlighting the importance of the card for accessing government services. Cheruiyot also instructed chiefs and their assistants to raise awareness about the significance of acquiring national IDs during public gatherings.
Cheruiyot reiterated the collaborative efforts with the registrar of persons to ensure residents receive National Identity Cards, emphasizing their constitutional right and the necessity of IDs for obtaining essential services. He assured that efforts would be made to facilitate ID acquisition at convenient locations for the residents.
