The government, through the National Registration Bureau, has intensified a mass identity card and voter registration drive in Kisumu County, targeting at least 800,000 registered voters within the next six months as Kenya edges closer to the 2027 General Election.
The latest exercise was conducted on Wednesday in Kobura Ward, Kadibo Sub-County, drawing a large turnout of residents eligible for national identification documents.
Speaking to the media during the exercise, Joshua Nyamori, a board member of the National Housing Corporation, said the campaign aims to raise Kisumu’s registered voter population from the current 600,000 to about 800,000, an increase from 49 per cent to 58 per cent of the county’s population.
Nyamori noted that the target is to match counties such as Nyeri, which has registered about 58 per cent of its population as voters.
“For a long time, the Lake Region has not reflected its true numbers in government records, particularly in ID and voter registration,” Nyamori said. “IDs are not just for voting; they are critical for government statistics, planning and service delivery.”
He cited disparities between counties to illustrate the gap, noting that Nyeri, with about 491,000 registered voters, has a higher registration percentage than Kisumu despite Kisumu having a larger population base.
“Our goal is to move Kisumu from 49 per cent to 58 per cent registration within six months. That translates to about 800,000 registered voters, but this can only happen if our people access national IDs,” he added.
Nyamori attributed low registration in the region to years of marginalisation, poor infrastructure and socio-economic challenges, which he said force residents to choose between daily survival and travelling long distances to registration centres.
“The turnout today is proof that many people are eligible for IDs,” he said. “But infrastructural challenges, poverty and past inefficiencies, such as lack of forms, officers being unavailable, or lack of transport, have discouraged many from registering.”
He praised the government, particularly the State Department for Internal Security and National Administration, for deploying officers to villages to ease access to registration services.
Nyamori specifically commended Interior Principal Secretary Dr Raymond Omollo for mobilising national administration officers to support the exercise in marginalised areas.
“We appreciate the President for enhancing efficiency in the registration process countrywide, especially in historically marginalised regions,” he said. “The Ministry of Interior, under Dr Raymond Omollo, has gone the extra mile to ensure eligible citizens are reached at the grassroots.”
Residents welcomed the initiative, with Beatrice Amondi saying the exercise reflects the government’s commitment to equity as promised during the last election campaigns.
“This exercise is timely and necessary,” she said, urging Nyanza leaders to mobilise residents to register. “There is strength in numbers, and registration is key to ensuring our voices are heard.”
