'Politics is about numbers,' Governor Nassir urges Coastal residents to register as voters

Nassir called on local administrators, including village elders and chiefs, to help ensure that all eligible residents obtain identity cards and voter registration cards ahead of future elections.

“Politics is about numbers," Nassir said, arguing that political respect and influence come from having a strong support base.

He said previous governments had applied identity registration laws unfairly, leaving some children and residents unable to acquire national identity cards.

“You, the chiefs and village elders, are witnesses to the fact that previous governments treated the law like a butcher's knife, which only cuts on one side,” he said.

Nassir, however, maintained that the current administration was pursuing equal treatment in the issuance of identity cards, regardless of a person's geographical location.

“The law for the people of Nyeri and the people of Mombasa is the same. The law for the people of Homa Bay and Mombasa is the same,” he said, also citing residents of Lamu, Tana River, Kisii, Turkana, Marsabit and Garissa.

He urged local administrators to support efforts to ensure that every eligible resident acquires an identity card, saying this would enable more people to participate in the electoral process.

The governor also challenged residents to register as voters, arguing that political participation must go beyond verbal support.

“We must be able to respond. And our responses cannot be through words alone. The mouth does not cast a vote,” he said.

He urged residents to ensure that even those who had recently attained the age of 18 and acquired identity cards proceed to register as voters.

Nassir said political respect was earned through numbers, describing voter registration as an important tool for building political influence.

“We cannot have people standing behind us if they do not have weapons. And our weapon is the voter's card,” he said.