Nairobi: The national government, through the Ministry of Interior and National Administration, alongside local leaders in Homa Bay, has initiated a countywide campaign aimed at increasing the uptake of national identification cards and boosting voter registration.
According to Kenya News Agency, during a stakeholders’ meeting on voter registration held in Ndhiwa Constituency, County Commissioner Ronald Mwiwawi emphasized the importance of collaboration with various partners to disseminate crucial information and encourage residents to actively participate in the registration process. He warned that those who remain outside the electoral system risk losing their influence in governance and development decisions. Mwiwawi highlighted that these stakeholder engagements, also conducted in six other constituencies, are part of a broader mobilization strategy to bridge the voter registration gap in Homa Bay.
“We want all members of the public to have the right messages and information so that they can take up this constitutional process voluntarily, exercise their civic rights and responsibilities, and participate in shaping the country’s leadership,” Mwiwawi stated. He noted the increasing number of residents with national identification cards as an indicator of the potential to boost voter registration numbers. A successful mobilization could see Homa Bay’s voter numbers exceed 800,000 by the year’s end.
Ndhiwa Member of Parliament, Martin Owino, acknowledged the challenges faced by Ndhiwa constituency in ID and voter registration uptake but expressed optimism about reaching the set targets. Owino thanked the national government and the Ministry of Interior for their support, emphasizing that access to an identification card is crucial, especially for young people turning 18. “Having an ID opens access to essential services in this country. It is not just a document but a civic responsibility and an important tool that allows citizens to be recognized and participate fully,” Owino said.
The MP revealed that Ndhiwa had been tasked with achieving 36,150 new registrations and that stakeholders would develop a work plan to reach residents across all wards. He called for increased deployment of mobile registration units, noting the challenging terrain in some parts of the constituency that hinders access to registration centers. “If we can have more mobile units moving across the constituency, we will surpass the target given to us,” Owino remarked, urging residents to acquire IDs and register as voters to avoid being left behind in resource allocation and development.
Dr. Evans Ongati, coordinating the exercise in the Nyanza region, explained that the campaign aims to improve voter registration and ID uptake. Ongati acknowledged previous low participation in government civic processes but noted significant progress in the region. He stated that Homa Bay County is targeting an additional 199,900 voters by the end of the year, with coordinated efforts at the ward and location levels.
The exercise will depend on the support of key stakeholders, including community health promoters, village elders, administrators, business leaders, clergy networks, and other community representatives. Ongati mentioned that progress would be assessed at the end of November to evaluate the remaining registration gap and plan the next steps towards achieving the county’s target of more than 805,000 voters.
