Busia:Economic Planning PS Dr. Bonface Makokha has launched a national identity card (ID) and voter registration drive aimed at making government services more accessible to residents of Busia County who lack essential documents.
According to Kenya News Agency, Dr. Makokha, speaking at the Nambale Deputy County Commissioner’s grounds, emphasized that the initiative would be rolled out county-wide to ensure residents could access these services locally. The program is a response to a survey revealing that many individuals lack IDs due to the distance required to reach registration services.
Officers from the National Registration Bureau, equipped with live-capture machines, will be visiting local areas to facilitate ID registration. Dr. Makokha reported that out of 22,000 IDs under production, 8,500 have been printed and dispatched to Busia residents. From the following week, those who applied for an ID will begin receiving their documents.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has set up a registration desk at the launch venue to allow residents obtaining their IDs to register as voters. Dr. Makokha highlighted that the absence of identification documents has hindered some residents from accessing necessary government services, underscoring the importance of decentralizing registration services.
He also urged for increased public awareness on government programs, noting that National Government Administrative Officers and religious leaders have been trained to inform communities about available services and encourage participation in government initiatives.
Addressing allegations that ID and voter registration services were being provided to non-residents, Makokha called for any evidence to be reported to security agencies for investigation. He emphasized the constitutional process involved in ID registration, which includes presenting original documents.
Nambale Sub County Deputy County Commissioner Veronica Naliaka encouraged eligible residents to obtain IDs and register as voters, stressing the importance of participating in elections to exercise democratic rights.
IEBC Officer Elizabeth Barasa from Nambale Sub-County urged the youth to register as voters, aiming to exceed 60,000 registered voters by the end of the registration exercise. Barasa mentioned the addition of 16 polling centers to make voting services more accessible and advised voters needing assistance with polling station transfers to visit the IEBC office.
Residents, including Stephen Wandera and Judith Wandera, praised the initiative for simplifying the process of acquiring IDs and registering to vote, emphasizing the role of voting in choosing leaders who will foster development in their community. They called on leaders to intensify efforts to encourage voter registration among the youth.
