Power at the Polls - The Emergence of Youth Voter Registration in Kenya

The voter registration centres across Kenya are silently turning into the locations of the re-energized civic life. The queues are long and start early in the morning and are mainly composed of the youth who are focused on participating in the political future of the country.

The current registration exercise is beginning to bear some fruits at a time when political apathy has been of concern particularly among first-time voters. Young people are coming out--not in bulk, but in consciousness.

To most, it is their initial experience in deciding matters nationally. To other people who have not been able to participate in past cycles, it is a second opportunity to join in the democratic process.

I understood that I cannot continue lamenting about leadership when I am not a registered voter, says a first-time voter in Nakuru. “This is where change starts.”

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has been undertaking a continuous voter registration in counties, which is aimed at registering the citizens who are yet to be registered. It has had a lot of focus on the youth who comprise a big percentage of the Kenyan population.

The enthusiasm is evident in spite of logistical inconveniences in certain regions, like long queues and shortage of machinery. Civic educators and youth volunteers are also currently engaged in efforts to promote participation, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas where awareness could be low.

This new interest is largely being facilitated by digital platforms. Tik Tok videos, Instagram posts, WhatsApp messages are disseminating information on the requirements of registration, where and when quicker than conventional campaigns.

Nevertheless, specialists warn that it is not sufficient to be registered. Kenya has a history of large numbers of registration and low voter turnout particularly among the youth.

Civic teachers are thus driving a more aggressive message and that is registration is not enough. It should incorporate knowledgeable voting, responsibility and sustained participation in national affairs.

Nevertheless, there is optimism with a reservation. When you see young Kenyans lined up, with IDs in their hands and waiting their turn, it is a sign of something, a dawning awareness that democracy is not a given thing, but it is something that is achieved by involvement.

One of the election observers remarked, “Each name registered is a voice registered to the future.

And to far too many young people to-day that is no longer a future to be looked on far away. Something they are stepping into--registration slip by registration slip.