IEBC missed the voter registration targets by more than half as second phase closes

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has blamed delayed issuance of identification cards and voter apathy for the low voter registration witnessed in the country.

The second phase of voter registration closed on February 6 with the electoral commission missing its targets by great margins.

IEBC had targeted to register 4.5 million new voters in the in the second phase of the enhanced voter registration exercise but could barely hit even half the number.

Registration figures as of last week, showed only 1.5 million voters had been registered leaving the commission missing its target greatly.

The commission also blamed the low youth voter turnout on loss of faith by the young people on the elected leaders who fail to deliver on what they promised.

IEBC officials tallying votes after December 15th, 2020 by-election Pulse Live Kenya

Voter registration also took place in the diaspora - 12 countries in Africa, the middle east, America and Europe. As of February 5, 2022, a total of 2,640 voters had been registered in the diaspora. Voters in the diaspora will only take part in the presidential election.

In the last general election in 2017, there were about 19.6 million registered voters.

Election Amendment Bill

The commission has also cleared the air on the election amendment bill, which has proposed to scrapped off the livestreaming of election results either through mainstream media or online.

IEBC said the amendment was misinterpreted terming the media reports regarding the bill as erroneous.

In a press statement, the commission said the counting and prompt announcement of the results by the presiding officers at the polling stations will be done in an open and transparent manner in the full glare of the media and election observers.

For election preparedness, the Treasury allocated Sh8.8 billion to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and Sh.324 million more to the Registrar of political parties.

In August 2021, IEBC Chairperson Wafula Chebukati had noted a deficit of Sh14.5 billion in its allotted Sh26.354 billion on the National Treasury budget.