Residents of Wajir County have been urged to take advantage of the ongoing voter registration exercise as the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) intensifies efforts to meet its targets ahead of the next general election.
Speaking on Wednesday during a monitoring and sensitisation workshop in Wajir, IEBC Commissioner Hassan Noor Hassan said the exercise was progressing well, with only five days remaining before the closure of the registration period.
Hassan said the Commission was committed to ensuring that every eligible Kenyan is registered as a voter to participate in the democratic process.
“We are here in Wajir on a monitoring and sensitization workshop to enhance voter registration and ensure that every eligible Kenyan is registered. The exercise is going on very well, and we have five days left,” he said.
He appealed to residents of Wajir and other parts of the country not to miss the opportunity, noting that the Commission was not considering extending the registration period.
“We are appealing to everybody in Wajir County and beyond to make sure they do not lose this opportunity of registering themselves as voters and to exercise their democratic rights of choosing leaders of their choice next year,” he added.
Hassan noted that Wajir County had achieved between 70 and 71 percent of its voter registration target, expressing optimism that the county would attain 100 percent by the end of the exercise.
“We have not yet hit our target in Wajir. We are at about 70 to 71 percent, and we hope that by the end of the remaining five days, we will have completed 100 percent of the target set for the county,” he said.
Meanwhile, Wajir gubernatorial aspirant Dr. Hassan Fuje called on the IEBC to consider the unique challenges facing expansive counties like Wajir in the voter registration process.
Fuje said residents were willing to register but cited logistical challenges due to the vast geographical size of the county.
“The people of Wajir are ready to register as voters, but a number of challenges have been raised. We hope the Commission will take into account that certain areas require special attention to ensure all Kenyans are registered,” he said.
He noted that comparing registration timelines between smaller constituencies and larger counties may disadvantage residents in remote areas.
“For instance, Mathare constituency is about three square kilometres, while Wajir spans approximately 60,000 square kilometres. These two areas cannot have the same time period for registration due to the significant logistical challenges involved,” he added.
By Hamdi Buthul
