By Staff Writer
GARISSA, Kenya — Garissa County is set to launch a countywide joint national identity card and voter registration exercise after the County and National governments formed a taskforce to coordinate efforts aimed at increasing access to identification documents and boosting voter registration.
Governor Nathif Jama announced the initiative following a planning meeting attended by Garissa County Commissioner John Cheruiyot, deputy county commissioners, chiefs, sub-county administrators, officers from the National Registration Bureau, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and other stakeholders.
The exercise will bring together national identity card issuance and voter registration services through public barazas, secondary schools and other community outreach forums to make it easier for eligible residents to access both services.
The governor said the initiative follows President William Ruto’s decision to abolish the extra vetting process previously required for national identity card applicants from North Eastern Kenya.
“The President’s decision has removed a long-standing barrier and reaffirmed the equal rights of residents to access government services,” Jama said.
Under the new programme, the County Government of Garissa will provide logistical support to registration teams working in remote areas while also mobilising residents to collect unclaimed national identity cards and register as voters.
Governor Jama said the county has identified a significant gap between the number of residents who possess national identity cards and those registered as voters.
He said about 328,000 Garissa residents already hold national identity cards but have not yet registered as voters.
To address the gap, officers from the National Registration Bureau and the IEBC will conduct the exercise jointly so that eligible residents issued with identity cards can immediately register as voters.
“A national identity card is the gateway to government services, economic opportunities and full participation in our democracy. I urge every eligible resident to apply for an ID, collect any unclaimed card and register as a voter. No one should be left behind,” Governor Jama said.
The county government did not announce when the registration exercise will begin or how long it will run.
The initiative comes as efforts continue to improve access to civil registration services and strengthen civic participation in North Eastern Kenya.
