The national government, through the Ministry of Interior and National Administration and local leaders in Homa Bay have launched a countywide campaign to increase national identification card uptake and voter registration.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ meeting on voter registration in Ndhiwa Constituency, the County Commissioner, Ronald Mwiwawi said the county was working with various partners to ensure residents receive the necessary information and take ownership of the registration process, warning that residents who remain outside the electoral system risk losing their voice in governance and development decisions.
The CC said the stakeholder engagements, which have also been held in six other constituencies, were part of a wider mobilization strategy to bridge the voter registration gap in Homa Bay.
“We want all members of the public to have the right messages and information so that they can take up this constitutional process voluntarily, exercise their civic rights and responsibilities, and participate in shaping the country’s leadership,” Mwiwawi said.
Mwiwawi noted the growing number of residents with national identification cards indicated a strong potential for increasing voter registration numbers.
He said a successful mobilization exercise could push Homa Bay’s voter numbers beyond 800,000 by the end of the year.
“We have realised that if we conduct a proper mop-up exercise, we can go beyond 800,000 voters by December. We need everyone to participate because their numbers determine their voice in governance,” he emphasized.
Ndhiwa Member of Parliament, Martin Owino, said Ndhiwa constituency had faced challenges in ID and voter registration uptake but expressed confidence that the ongoing efforts would help achieve the set targets.
Owino thanked the national government and the Ministry of Interior for supporting the exercise, saying access to an identification card was essential, especially for young people attaining the age of 18.
“Having an ID opens access to essential services in this country. It is not just a document but a civic responsibility and an important tool that allows citizens to be recognized and participate fully,” Owino said.
The MP said Ndhiwa had been assigned a target of 36,150 new registrations and that stakeholders would develop a work plan to reach residents across all wards.
The legislator called for increased deployment of mobile registration units, citing the vast terrain in some parts of the constituency that makes it difficult for residents to access registration centres.
“If we can have more mobile units moving across the constituency, we will surpass the target given to us,” Owino said.
Owino further urged residents to acquire IDs and register as voters, warning that communities that are not captured in the system risk being left behind in matters of resource allocation and development.
He said citizens could only benefit from government programs and equitable distribution of resources if they were recognized through registration and participation in elections.
Dr Evans Ongati, who is coordinating the exercise in the Nyanza region, said the campaign was aimed at improving voter registration and ID uptake in the region.
Ongati said some areas had previously recorded low numbers due to limited participation in government civic processes but noted that the region had made significant progress.
He said Homa Bay County was targeting an additional 199,900 voters by the end of the year, with the goal expected to be achieved through coordinated efforts at the ward and location levels.
The exercise will rely on the support of key stakeholders, including community health promoters, village elders, administrators, business leaders, clergy networks and other community representatives.
Ongati said the progress would be reviewed at the end of November to assess the remaining registration gap and determine the next steps towards achieving the county’s target of more than 805,000 voters.
By Sitna Omar
