Members of the Makonde community in Kwale are opimistic of taking part in the August polls for the first time since independence.
This comes after the government assured them of receiving their national identity cards before the end of the voter registeration exercise.
The community has been living in a state of desperation because of being sidelined from the affairs of the nation, including voting.
The community members said they can’t wait for August to exercise their democratic right, which they had been denied for years.
Coast region National Registration Bureau senior assistant director Aggrey Masai on Wednesday affirmed that they are doing their best to ensure that the eligible voters from the community get their IDs before the before the February 14 deadline.
He said a good number of the community members only have waiting cards.
“We are going to issue the cards simultaneously in both Kwale and Kilifi counties. We will visit the different places these people are and give them their cards,” said Masai as quoted by the Nation.