Marsabit's Saru residents accuse IEBC of failing to conduct voter registration since 2021

Residents of Saru in Marsabit County have accused the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) of failing to conduct voter registration in their area since 2021.

They say thousands of young people who have acquired national identity cards since the last general election now risk being locked out of the 2027 polls.

The nearest IEBC office is in Marsabit town, almost 800 kilometres away, where transport costs exceed Ksh.2,000 one way, a burden many residents cannot afford as they battle drought and hunger.

Mohammed Noor cleared high school in 2018. The wait for a national ID was a struggle and after getting it, his hopes of participating in the next general election are slowly fading.

"Kura sasa tunakata Marsabit, hawa watu wa IEBC hawawezi tukujia na sisi hatuna gari kama Gen Z na hatuna pesa na hatuna kazi kutoka hapa Marsabit distance ni 800kms fare ya gari ni Ksh.2,000 kama Gen Z nitoe wapi, hatuna serikali ndio tunafanyiwa hivi," said Noor.

"Sijapata kadi ya kura lakini niko na ID, ningetaka pia mimi kupiga kura," said Dokatu Omuro.

"Walikuja kitambo kabla hata ya kupigwa kura ile ya juzi, election ya juzi mbele yake ndio walifika na tangu siku hiyo hatujawaona," said Abdullahi Abdi.

The residents, who are predominantly pastoralists, are disputing the population figures from the region.

They accuse the electoral commission of inconsistent voter registration, saying the irregularities have resulted in discrimination, denying them the right to choose their leaders or even contest elective positions.

"Hata inakaa shame kwangu watu wanaenda kupiga kura mimi nakaa tu kwa nyumba hata time ya election hata sijui tutaelect nani juu sina kura hata siwezi apply agents," said Mohammed Noor.

"Tuko na over 2,000 IDs, mbeleni tuko na around 6,000 votes kwa hii ward…saa hii tunaweza ongeza 3,000 na IDs waongezewe mara mingi wanakuja two days wakati huo sisi wafugaji watu wako kwa mifugo," said Hassan Bile Abdi.

"Area hii iko chini sana upande wa kura na population iko wengi kwa hivo tunaomba IEBC wafanye bidii watume vijana ama wawe wakikaa hapa kukatia hawa," said Abdullahi Abdi.

Several other wards in the county are yet to undergo voter registration. Residents are calling for interventions to ensure they receive their voter cards ahead of the 2027 General Election.