ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna is now proposing a lenient penalty for Kenyans who abdicate their civic duty of voting in elections.
Speaking on Citizen TV’s Day Break show on Tuesday, November 2, Sifuna said even though there has been deliberate government effort from previous regimes to suppress the registration of voters in certain areas, the few who register to have to be motivated with cash from aspirants to vote.
According to Sifuna, the government should consider tasking the Kenya National Police service the duty to register voters so that those who will fail to participate in the voting process be punished.
“I would see a situation where the registration of voters is given to the police so that if you have not voted we sentence you to maybe community service for thirty days… it’s a civic responsibility to vote,” he said amid opposition from fellow panelists on the show including Homa Bay Woman Rep Pamella Odhiambo.
Pamela Odhiambo said that Kenyans no longer know the importance of participating in the electioneering process; from registration to voting.
“When you talk to our people, what comes clear to me is that Kenyans no longer know why it is beneficial for them to be voters and come out to vote,” she said.
Sifuna’s remarks come at a time when the country has witnessed low voter registration turnout.
According to figures released by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) by the end of the third week, only 800,462 new voters had been listed against a total target of about 6 million.
Odhiambo said the low voter registration turn-out witnessed across the country is because Kenyans do not see why they should vote.
While analysts attribute the low voter listing to voter apathy, Migori Woman Rep believes that Kenyans could have lost trust in the IEBC over what she terms as mismanagement of previous elections.
“This borders on the issue of mishandled elections as people think when you elect Pamela, IEBC will give the ticket to Sifuna or it will not be fair,” she stated.
