[Opposition alliance NASA leaders during a past event. They have expressed confidence in winning the presidential elections by more than 10 million votes. Courtesy: The Star]
Political analyst and commentator Daisy Maritim Maina has argued that Opposition coalition NASA will not attain 10 million votes during the August polls.
NASA leaders have in the recent past maintained that the outfit will garner more than 10 million votes.
But in a lengthy opinion editorial published with The Standard Newspaper on Saturday, Maritim argued that NASA's "10 million strong" is a far-fetched dream that only seeks to motivate the alliance's supporters to turn up to vote during the forthcoming general elections.
She argued that NASA's perceived strongholds are likely to record low voter turnout, citing historical voting patterns.
"An average of the last five elections shows that the Luo will turn out at 70 per cent (1.6 million votes) , Luhya at 63 per cent (1.6 million votes), and Kamba at 66 per cent (1.3 million votes). NASA’s point of departure on August 8 totals 4.5 million votes," she noted.
"Not to mention the tangible voter fatigue and apathy from these strongholds. If the 2002 election recorded the lowest voter turn out in our multiparty election history, and yet conditions during that election were most ideal and euphoric to vote out a two-decade long government, then how much worse will the voter turn-out in the 2017 election be? If the Luhya nation turned out at 39 per cent when Kijana Wamalwa was vice president, then what will it be now, with Mudavadi merely holding the position of chief campaign coordinator? If the Kamba nation turned out at 57 per cent when Charity Ngilu was a key principal in the Rainbow coalition, then what will it be now with Kalonzo as Raila’s deputy once again?" She posed.
According to IEBC records, there are about 19 million registered voters.