Sabatia: The Department of Registration of Persons has teamed up with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to enhance the acquisition of identity cards and voter registration in Sabatia Sub-County, Vihiga County, in preparation for the 2027 General Election.
According to Kenya News Agency, the mobile registration exercise began on August 3 and is set to continue until September 3, 2026. It has already registered 500 new identity card applicants and processed replacements for 810 individuals whose cards were lost or damaged. The initiative aims to reach residents lacking identity cards and those needing replacements.
During a Sabatia Sub-County Service Delivery meeting at the Deputy County Commissioner’s office, Emmanuel Busutu from the Department of Registration of Persons stated that registration officers are traveling to various locations to distribute identity cards and facilitate voter registration by IEBC officials. He emphasized the collaboration with IEBC to ensure wider participation in the electoral process.
Busutu also noted that mobile registration sessions would extend to schools, partnering with the Ministry of Education to further increase access to identity documents.
Elida Ochieng, the Sabatia Sub-County IEBC Registration Officer, reported the registration of 2,655 new voters and the transfer of 917 voter registrations from other areas during the continuous voter registration exercise. The sub-county previously had 4,344 registered voters, and the current effort is expected to boost the number of eligible voters for the 2027 elections.
Ochieng mentioned that stakeholders from Sabatia Constituency had successfully requested additional polling centers, raising the total from 75 to 91.
In parallel, Edwin Nganga, the Sabatia Sub-County Civil Registration Officer, urged residents to present accurate documents when applying for birth and death certificates to prevent processing delays. He highlighted challenges faced due to incorrect or incomplete documentation, especially for birth certificates, and noted issues with verifying claims of lost documents in incidents like house fires.
Nganga also expressed concerns about the potential misuse of identity documents, particularly given Sabatia’s proximity to routes used in child trafficking. He cautioned that individuals from neighboring counties might exploit the area to obtain documents for illegal purposes.
Nganga reported the registration of 519 births and 125 deaths in the sub-county between April and July 2026.
