This number is expected to rise as more Kenyans make a last-minute dash for registration, with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) warning that it will not extend the deadline.
All indications, however, are that IEBC is unlikely to hit their initial projected target of 18 million voters after it was hit by apathy in the month-long exercise that commenced on November 19.
On Monday, IEBC Chief Executive Officer James Oswago told The Standard that as of Sunday, the electoral body had registered 12.7 million people.
“We have so far registered over 12.7 million voters. We will have our official figure tomorrow (today),” he said.
As at Monday last week, 8.6 million Kenyans had registered as voters.
The figures had further tabulated the listing according to counties, indicating the 10 counties with the highest registered voters and another 10 with the lowest.
Lamu County was leading, having registered 34,551 of 47,338 targeted voters, or 73 per cent, while Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta’s Kiambu backyard had registered 518,667 out of an estimated 756,774, representing 68.54 per cent.
Nairobi came third at 67.67 per cent, having registered 990,127 out of the 1,463,105 estimated eligible voters while Murang’a registered 293,622 (66.82 per cent).
Nyeri had 214,880 (66.46 per cent), Kirinyaga 162, 447 (65.99 per cent), Kajiado 201,944 (63.02 per cent), Nyandarua 172,400 (62.02 per cent), Kisumu 274,869 (60.85 per cent) and Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s home county of Siaya was at number 10 with 234,386 (59.69 per cent).
Last week’s figures indicated that Eldoret North MP William Ruto’s Uasin Gishu County had registered a paltry 142,147 out of 416,865, or 34.10 per cent.
Others in the list of poor performers were Isiolo with 22,583 (33.8 per cent), Marsabit 44,637 (32.88 per cent), Kwale 91,011 (30.04 per cent), Trans Nzoia 111,996 (29.34 per cent) and Garissa 77,616 (26.72 per cent).
West Pokot had 59,874 (25.05 per cent), Wajir 75,999 (24.63 per cent), Turkana 78,404 (19.66 per cent) and Mandera 77,049 (16.11 per cent).
Voter apathy was witnessed across the country, and the most affected were areas hit by post-election violence in previous elections.
Both President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga have appealed to Kenyans to register for the historic polls. A spot check by The Standard in various registration centres found many Kenyans rushing to beat today’s deadline.
We also found more people seeking national identity cards in areas like Westlands and Kariakor in Starehe District.
There was chaos at the Starehe District headquarters after some people — who could not get their cards — became agitated and unleashed their frustrations by barricading the roads.
The youth engaged riot police in running battles for the better part of the morning, pelting motorists with stones and burning used tyres.
Area DC Omar Beja said the youth had been lining up to collect their IDs as early as 6am.
Overwhelmed
“We were overwhelmed with the numbers and had to restore order. We decided to serve the youths in groups of 50, which they didn’t like,” he said, and hence their reaction.
Beja said the District has over 260,000 uncollected ID cards of which they had been issuing around 400 daily.
“We have been receiving very many applicants but the numbers have increased today. We have been trying to distribute them through the District Officers’ and Chiefs’ offices,” he told The Standard.
He attributed the high numbers to laxity in collecting the document in the past five years.
In Westlands, the situation was not any different after some applicants had their pictures rejected.
“We are surprised to learn that our pictures were of poor quality yet the registration exercise ends today,” said Alex Arunga.
However, Oswago said Immigration minister Otieno Kajwang’ had indicated that there were 350,000 uncollected IDs and his ministry had decentralised the distribution to the grassroots.
Oswago himself and IEBC Chairman Issack Hassan had visited the minister’s office over the issue of delayed IDs.
- The Standard
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