Lagdera constituency Member of Parliament (MP) Mohammed Shidiye has blamed low voter registration being witness in North Eastern on famine that has hit the region.
The MP says that ravaging famine has forced locals to keep off the ongoing voter registration exercise.
According to the MP, locals in North Eastern Region and other parts of the county worse hit by drought are in search of food and water and have no time for the ongoing voter registration exercise.
The MP said that the region will register low voters as a result of the famine and further asked the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to devise ways on how to get locals in areas hit by famine register as voters.
“The IEBC must come up with alternative ways to reach out to unregistered Kenyans in North Eastern and other parts of the county hit by drought,” he said as quoted by the Standard Newspaper.
The Lagdera MP observed that eligible voters will be locked out of the ongoing voter registration exercise if nothing is done.
The MP at the same time urged the government to increase relief food distribution in North Eastern, noting that locals in Garissa, Mandera, Isiolo and Wajir are worst hit by the drought.
According to voter registration statistics released on Monday by IEBC only 39,671 new voters had registered in North Eastern region in the second week of the voter registration.
The IEBC says that there are 166,983 potential voters with IDs in North Eastern region.
Lagdera MP Mohamed Shidiye at a past event. He has blamed low voter turn out in the ongoing voter registration exercise to biting drought and famine sweeping through some parts of the country.