A section of Thika residents has raised concerns over delays in the ongoing voter registration exercise, citing the use of a single registration kit at the constituency office as the main cause of inefficiency.
The residents, mostly youth who had turned up in large numbers to enlist, said the shortage of kits has significantly slowed down the process, resulting in long queues, congestion and extended waiting hours. They warned that the situation could discourage many eligible voters from registering ahead of the next General Election.
Those who spoke to journalists at the Thika constituency registration centre said the reliance on one kit has forced them to spend hours waiting, with some opting to leave without completing the process due to other commitments. They expressed fears that the bottleneck could undermine efforts to increase voter participation.
Magdalene Gathoni and Joseph Giathi faulted the Electoral Commission for what they termed as inadequate planning, noting that the high turnout of youth had not been matched by sufficient resources. They called for urgent deployment of additional kits and staff to ease the pressure and improve efficiency.
Other residents, including Charles Wanyoike and Florence Wangari, echoed the concerns, warning that if the situation persists, it could derail the registration exercise. Despite the challenges, they urged fellow youth to remain patient and committed, emphasizing the importance of registering as voters.
They noted that participation in elections is key to shaping leadership and addressing issues affecting young people, including employment and service delivery.
However, Thika Constituency Election Manager, Michael Moses, said the current situation is temporary and attributed it to the ongoing training of junior staff ahead of a mass voter registration drive scheduled to begin next week.
He assured residents that the Commission plans to deploy at least 15 kits across the constituency’s five wards to enhance efficiency and reduce waiting time. He further encouraged all eligible voters to turn out in large numbers once the exercise is fully rolled out.
By Muoki Charles
