Cord leader Raila Odinga’s Nyanza backyard leads in new voter registration, with official statistics indicating that 562,194 Kenyans have acquired the document in two weeks.
A statistical analysis from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission shows that a total of 117,920 people have registered as voters in Nyanza, a 38 per cent turnout.
This is followed by President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Central turf as well as Northeastern, which have both realised a performance rate of 31 per cent.
However, the actual new registered voters in Central are 69,274 and 9,266 in Northeastern.
Rift Valley has tied with Eastern, with a turnout of 28 per cent.
The actual voters are 110,331 and 94,109 respectively.
The Western region has registered a paltry 67,691 new voters, a performance rate of 26 per cent.
However, Coast, also considered a Raila stronghold, comes last, with 45,089 new voters, a performance rate of 19 per cent.
The IEBC’s statistical analysis indicates that all Luo Nyanza counties are in the top 10, based on meeting the set targets.
Others in the top 10 are Kajiado, Tana River, Turkana, Kirinyaga, Marsabit and Kiambu.
Issack Hassan’s IEBC is targeting a total of 22.4 million voters by 2017, compared to 14.3 million in 2013.
This means the General Election on Tuesday August 8, 2017, will present a completely different political scenario for leading presidential contenders.
In the first week of the registration exercise, only 251,894 applied as compared to the second week’s 310,300 applications.
This is an improvement of 58,406 from the first week, IEBC said.
Yesterday, IEBC the chief executive officer, Ezra Chiloba, said the Commission would soon release reports on voter transfers.
“The Commission is still reviewing data on voter transfers from the field. A separate report, including observations on the transfers, will be shared as soon as it is ready,” Chiloba said.
There have been concerns over the mass transfer of registered voters from outside Nairobi that has
been linked to the scramble for the city between the ruling Jubilee and opposition Cord.
Early this week, there was a bloody confrontation on Nairobi’s Kariobangi Estate over alleged mass transfers.
Raila Odinga’s Nyanza backyard tops in new voter registration
