The stage has been set for mass voter registration in readiness for next year’s polls as the electoral body, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) wrestles to enlist four million new voters countrywide in a one-month enhanced voter registration exercise. In Kiambu County which has over one million registered voters scattered in twelve constituencies according to IEBC, a target of 100,000 new voters has been set by the electoral body. The ambitious course is however facing hurdles as no voter registration exercise will be happening at both Gatundu North and Kiambaa constituencies as petitions disputing the outcome of elections in the areas are still before various courts.
In Gatundu North, a court battle between political adversaries’ former MP Clement Waibara and incumbent Anne Wanjiku Kibe has been running since 2017. Waibara has been seeking the nullification of Kibe’s win. He claims that the incumbent did not qualify to vie for the parliamentary position as she did not resign as a nominated Member of County Assembly (MCA). Wanjiku was nominated as MCA to the Kiambu county assembly by TNA in 2013. Elsewhere in Kiambaa, a petition challenging the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate John Njuguna’s victory is still not heard. George Thata Ndia, in court documents, states that the by-election was marred with electoral malpractices and irregularities. The petitions, according to Tabitha Waitherero, the election coordinator for Kiambu Town constituency, will delay registration of voters in the areas.
However, Waitherero noted that the two constituencies will be given one month of rigorous voter registration exercise when the petitions will be withdrawn months before the elections. Notably, Ruiru tops as the constituency with the most registered voters with 159,000 voters while Gatundu North enjoys the least position having 67,000 voters registered. Voter registration clerks who the electoral body is recruiting will be undertaking the exercise from October 4 to November 4 with each ward given three bio-metric voter registration BVR kits. Waitherero highlighted the electoral body will be using all channels among them churches, mosques, road shows, mainstream media, social media among others to lure Kenyans to get enlisted.