Nyeri: The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is concerned over Kenyans’ excessive and unnecessary criticism of the commission, urging them to instead support the ongoing Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration (ECVR) drive. IEBC commissioner Anne Nderitu has raised concerns over what she termed as ‘persistent propaganda’ that is aimed at discrediting the commission without a valid cause. Nderitu warned that the sustained attacks risk undermining public trust in the entire electoral process and tarnishing the image of the Commission.
According to Kenya News Agency, Nderitu emphasized the importance of public trust in the electoral process. She pointed out that the commission is committed to upholding transparency and inclusivity despite the growing criticism. She discouraged stakeholders, including voters, from discrediting the commission without evidence, stressing that elections are a collective civic responsibility.
During a stakeholders meeting in Nyeri, Nderitu also called on Kenyans to uphold democratic principles, including accepting election outcomes. She assured Kenyans that the Commission will conduct the processes openly, emphasizing the need for acceptance of results once leaders are elected. The meeting brought together political aspirants, National Government Administrative Officers (NGAO), and civic society organisations to strategize on effectively reaching all unregistered voters during the Enhanced Voter Registration Exercise.
The ongoing ECVR exercise, which commenced on March 30 and will conclude on April 28, aims to register 2.5 million voters. As of April 9, the IEBC had enlisted 875,501 voters into the election register and effected 49,502 transfers while updating particulars for 1,066 voters. In Nyeri, where the commission targets 139,892 new voter registrations, only 18,839 had been registered by last Thursday.
The meeting highlighted uncollected National Identity cards as a major impediment to the success of the ECVR exercise. Joseph Ndung’u, the Central Region Director of the National Registration Bureau (NBR), reported that close to 89,000 IDs remain uncollected in Huduma Centres and chief camps across the region. He urged the youth to take advantage of the EVCR to acquire IDs, noting that the NBR has made necessary arrangements to process the document.
Nyeri governor, Dr. Mutahi Kahiga, commended the IEBC for deploying mobile registration kits and called for targeted outreach programmes in places of worship. He appealed to Civil Society Organisations and religious groups to support the IEBC, emphasizing elections as a collective civic responsibility. Dr. Kahiga also expressed concern over the uncollected IDs, urging residents to collect their IDs to enable voter registration.