Chiefs and their Assistants in Baringo County have been urged to hasten the distribution of already processed Identity Cards, to enable the owners to register as voters during the ongoing enhanced continuous voter registration exercise.
The County Election Manager, John Mwangi, noted that delay in ID card issuance and distribution has slowed down the registration exercise in some areas.
Speaking during a stakeholder engagement meeting for national government departmental heads, held at the County Commissioner’s Boardroom in Kabarnet, Tuesday, Mwangi reiterated that the officials are committed to achieving the County Registration target of 32,058 voters by the end of the exercise scheduled to conclude on April 28.
“These engagements are aimed at strengthening collaboration with key stakeholders and enhancing the effectiveness of voter registration at the grassroots level,” Mwangi told the heads.
He stressed that the electoral commission decided to convene the meeting to share insights on various strategies that may be adopted to enhance voter registration numbers in the County with over 281,000 registered voters as per 2022 record.
The Election Manager said that they have stepped-up coordinated mobilization efforts and stakeholders’ engagement, to ensure the planned target is realized.
He revealed that so far, a total of 25,685 new voters have been captured in the six constituencies, a figure, translating to 80.1 percent achievement.
In the engagement meeting chaired by County Commissioner, Stephen Kutwa, the election manager commended Tiaty for registering 5,582 voters surpassing significantly its target of 4,436, representing 125.3 percent.
The achievement, the meeting was informed, is to great extend attributed to the current prevailing improved security situation, self-mobilization, community cohesiveness and more significantly political involvement.
The County Registrar of Persons, Monica Kurgoi, told the meeting that there are 4,732 cards lying uncollected at various registration centres with Huduma Centre, Kabarnet, having 639 of the vital documents, while Mogotio has 1,016 awaiting collections.
Koibatek and Baringo North Sub-counties were singled out as low performing areas despite posting high population density.
Huduma Centre Manager, Kabarnet, Hellen Masit, told the meeting they will take Huduma Mashinani to Eldama Ravine in the next two weeks, to help shove-up the low voter numbers in the area with the leading registered voters across the County.
Ms. Masit added that plans to open new Huduma Centre in the town were at an advance stage as a way of taking services closer to the people.
By Joshua Kibet
