The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has urged residents of Kericho County, especially the youth who have attained voting age, to turn up in large numbers and register as voters, following a low turnout since the resumption of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise on September 29, 2025.
According to Kericho County Elections Manager Dr Sydney Namulungu, the number of people presenting themselves for registration remains significantly below target, with the county having 428,000 registered voters against a projected goal of 550,000, leaving tens of thousands of eligible residents yet to be captured in the voters’ roll.
According to the County Elections Manager, constituency breakdown shows that Bureti is leading with over 27,000 new registrations, followed by Belgut and Ainamoi, while Sigowet/Soin, Kipkelion West, and Kipkelion East continue to record low numbers, a trend that underscores the urgent need for intensified voter education and mobilization in those areas.
Dr Namulungu, who spoke to KNA said IEBC officers are working tirelessly to reach more residents and ensure they understand the importance of registering early.
“We are appealing to all eligible Kenyans in Kericho, particularly the youth, to come out and register. This is the time to prepare to participate in shaping Kenya’s future,” he said.
He attributed the slow registration to low levels of voter education and widespread misconceptions about the process, urging community leaders, civil society, and churches to help mobilize eligible persons, noting that voter registration is not just for elections but the first step toward effective representation.
“The exercise is part of the Commission’s constitutional mandate under Article 88(4) of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010, which empowers IEBC to conduct continuous voter registration and maintain an updated national voters’ roll.” Namulungu emphasized.
He disclosed that each of the six constituencies in Kericho County has one registration office manned by an officer, located at Londiani Post Office (Kipkelion East), Kipkelion Post Office (Kipkelion West), Ainamoi, Soko Huru Police Post (Sigowet/Soin), Patnas Plaza next to Bureti Police Station (Bureti), and Rev. Temuga Plaza opposite the DCC Office (Belgut).
The Elections Manager decried logistical challenges arising from financial constraints and a shortage of officers in some constituencies, noting that the vastness of certain areas forces residents to travel long distances to reach registration centers, a factor he said could be contributing to the low turnout.
He emphasized that despite these challenges, officers on the ground are well-equipped and ready to attend to all residents seeking registration.
At the same time, the IEBC Ainamoi Constituency Registration Officer Ms. Lydia Chepkemoi explained that the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise targets newly eligible voters as well as citizens seeking to update or transfer their voter details, with the IEBC conducting stakeholder engagements, mapping registration centers, and testing Kenya Integrated Election Management System (KIEMS) kits to ensure efficiency, accessibility, and reliability throughout the process.
“In Ainamoi Constituency, the turnout of persons seeking voter registration has been low, but I urge residents to find time to visit our office with their national identification card or passport and get registered, as the process only takes a few minutes,” said Ms. Chepkemoi.
Meanwhile, Belgut Member of Parliament, Mr. Nelson Koech, has called on local chiefs and their assistants to play an active role in mobilizing residents to register as voters during the ongoing IEBC Continuous Voter Registration exercise pointing out that Belgut aims to enroll at least 20,000 new voters before the end of the current phase, emphasizing that community leadership remains vital in bridging the awareness gap at the grassroots level.
“My office will fully support chiefs and local administrators in this noble and patriotic duty to ensure that every unregistered voter in Belgut has access to IEBC registration services,” said Koech.
By Kibe Mburu and Hillary Kemei
