NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 29 — The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has intensified voter registration campaigns targeting the youth on social media platform amid a low turnout and missed targets.
The electoral agency commenced the second phase of Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration (ECVR) on January 17 in all 1,450 County Assembly Wards in an exercise slated to conclude on February 8.
“Kuwa voter ni haki yako. IEBC inakutambua. Jiandikishe leo. (Your vote is your right. IEBC acknowledges you. Register today),” a message published on the agency’s social media platform on Saturday read.
The campaign was announced after the first phase in 2021 which targeted 4.5 million new voters only yielded 800,462.
Ma Youths.
This is your final chance to register as a voter and exercise your democratic right.
IEBC Inakutambua. Jiandikishe Leo.#ECVR2022 pic.twitter.com/NWvOr0oE29— IEBC (@IEBCKenya) January 25, 2022
The youth, who make a bulk of eligible persons yet to be listed as voters, were identified as the target population.
A similar exercise kicked off in the Diaspora on January 21 and was set to close after fifteen days.
IEBC listed twelve diaspora constituencies including East Africa Community Members States — Burundi, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda and South Sudan — as well as South Africa, the United Kingdom in Europe, Canada, USA, Qatar, Germany and UAE.
Phase II ECVR campaign is expected to be the final such drive before the General Election on August 9 which will feature six ballots including the presidential and parliamentary elections.
