The High Court in Eldoret has stopped the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, IEBC from ending the ongoing mass voter registration on Tuesday (today, November 2nd 2021) as planned.
This is after a voter from Kaptagat in Uasin Gishu County Patrick Cherono moved to court requesting that IEBC be barred from ending the voter registration exercise to give more time to those who have attained the voting age to register.
High Court Judge Eric Ogolla issued the order barring IEBC from ending the mass voter registration exercise until November 9, 2021 when the matter will come up for hearing.
Cherono, through his advocate Kaira Nabesange, told the court that the 30 days registration period given by IEBC was too short and would lock out a large number of potential voters.
Addressing the press after the court issued the orders, Cherono said IEBC should consider giving more time to Kenyans to register, “a good number of youths are attaining the voting age every time and will be locked out if the registration period would not be extended”, he said.
IEBC, he added, should have considered giving at least three months for the exercise to ensure the youth register to enable them vote for a leader of their choice come the next General Elections.
Meanwhile the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) in Tharaka Nithi County is calling upon residents to register as voters to avoid being left out in the upcoming General Elections.
Speaking at the IEBC offices in Chuka, County ICT Officer Dennis Gitau said as the exercise comes to a close the turnout number for registered voters has been relatively low throughout the county.
The officer disclosed that only 10,481 voters were registered as per yesterday which is about 15 per cent of their total target of 69,386 people majority of whom came from Chuka constituency.
Gitau attributed the low turnout to ignorance from the people adding that most Kenyans wait for the last minute so they can rush to register.
“Having two days left to complete the ongoing national voter registration, we are expecting many people to show up to be registered as voters, today and tomorrow,” he said before the High Court in Eldoret ordered the exercise to go on until a case filed by a voter is heard and determined.
The officer urged Kenyans to come out and register as a way to practice their civic rights.
By KNA team
