Moses Kuria explains why Mt Kenya is underperforming in IEBC voter registration

Former Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has claimed that the Mt Kenya region is lagging behind the rest of the country in the ongoing Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) voter registration drive because residents feel excluded from the current political equation ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Speaking on Citizen TV’s JKLive show on Wednesday night, Kuria said voter registration figures from the region were trailing national expectations by about 20 per cent.

The outspoken politician, therefore, argued that contrary to other years where the region felt like they were represented, this time, they felt as if they did not have a perceived kingpin or a unifying leader contesting for the presidency.

“The numbers are not looking good. From a voter registration perspective, I have the figures because IEBC is using them every week and I’ve been tracking them closely. Mt Kenya region — I’m talking about nine to ten counties — is underperforming compared to the rest of the country by about 20 per cent based on expectations,” said Kuria.

He added that while the national voter registration target stands at 2.37 million voters, only 1.3 million had been registered by last weekend.

“The bigger question is this: why is Mt Kenya underperforming in voter registration? The answer is simple — they do not feel they have a horse in the race; Politics is driven by motivation,” Kuria stated.

The former CS, who previously served in former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration, said a similar voter mobilisation challenge did not exist in 2017 because the region was strongly identified with the presidential contest.

“In 2017, I was in charge of voter registration in the Mt Kenya region for former President Uhuru Kenyatta, working alongside former Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho,” he said.

“I remember the effort we put in, including support from volunteers and groups such as the Mt Kenya Foundation. People were motivated because they believed they had something at stake.”

According to Kuria, data from the third week of voter registration showed counties he described as the region’s broader political allies — including Nairobi, Eastern and Kisii — had only achieved 66 per cent of their voter registration targets.

“In fact, if you look at what they call their ‘cousin’ territories — which largely comprise Mt Kenya, Nairobi, Eastern and Kisii — the 14 counties had an average voter registration target achievement of 66 per cent as of week three,” he said.

Kuria further argued that several counties could emerge as key battlegrounds in the next election cycle, singling out Nakuru as one of the most competitive.

“Nakuru is one of the battleground counties, and many people may not understand why it stands out. Nakuru is extremely cosmopolitan — about 40 per cent of the county’s voters are non-Mt Kenya voters. That alone makes it a real battleground,” he said.

He also named Kakamega, Bungoma, Busia and Trans Nzoia among counties he believes will significantly shape the country’s political landscape due to their growing voter populations.

Kuria’s remarks come amid heightened political realignments as leaders begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 polls, with voter registration expected to play a crucial role in determining future electoral strength.