Rumours that ODM has preferred candidates for the 2022 general election are demoralising eligible Nyanza residents from registering as voters.
Nyanza coordinator for voter registration mobilisation Ruth Odinga said on Thursday that residents tell them that they do not see the importance of registering if ODM has selected candidates.
ODM is the dominant political party in the region.
Ruth said they have traversed Siaya, Kisumu, Homa Bay and Migori counties asking residents to register, but the feedback they get is that ODM has selected its candidates.
“The issue that ODM has preferred candidates in the forthcoming general election has contributed to voter registration apathy. We must discourage this to reverse the trend,” the coordinator said.
She spoke during a consultative meeting for the ongoing mass voter listing exercise at Dicece hall in Homa Bay town.
Ruth said ODM national leadership had clarified that it does not have preferred people ahead of the party primaries.
“It should be clear that ODM hasn’t given anyone the nomination certificate. Let’s concentrate on making more people register as voters to help Raila win the presidency,” she said.
Another issue said to have been causing voter registration apathy in the region is the lack of coordination between leaders and IEBC clerks.
“We have had a situation where politicians accuse chiefs of failure to distribute IDs. Some politicians also don’t facilitate IEBC clerks to register people at their nearest centres,” Ruth said.
Administrators led by Homa Bay deputy county commissioner Jude Wasonga said they are providing eligible residents with ID cards to facilitate their voter registrations.
“Our chiefs had been directed to distribute all uncollected IDs to enable youths to register as voters,” he said.
Suba North constituency ODM chairman Narkiso Tuko said they lack facilitations for mobilising residents.
Tuko told politicians to put aside their personal interests to reverse the voter listing apathy trend.
Edited by A.N