ODM leader Raila Odinga has said lack of Identity Cards has contributed to a low turnout of residents registering as voters in Nyanza.
The former Premier further asked chiefs to heed President Kenyatta’s directive that IDs be processed within three days to enable Kenyans to acquire the document ahead of the August polls.
Raila was speaking after chairing a strategic meeting attended by governors, senators, MPs, and MCAs allied to the ODM party, as he urged locals to ensure they have IDs and registers as voters before the end of the exercise next month.
He also said he will not relent in his quest to ensure more eligible voters are registered, and he will move to all parts in the country to realize this, out of the 800,179 eligible voters with IDs in Nyanza, only 95,000 have registered.
“ID cards should be released within three days of registration. This is somehow not being implemented in this region, and therefore we would like to basically ask those who are responsible to implement that directive, particularly the youth,” said Odinga.
Leaders from the political divide have been moving across the country urging their supporters to register as voters before the 14th February deadline.
However, the turnout has been worrying if figures released by the IEBC are anything to go by, with the first week of registration recording low figures.