Clergy, MP Nyoro to politicians: Keep off ‘Niko Kadi’

Politicians have been warned to keep off a youth-led voter registration initiative dubbed Niko Kadi, as concerns grow over attempts to hijack the movement ahead of the 2027 General Election.

The initiative, driven largely by young people, seeks to mobilise their peers to register as voters and actively participate in the electoral process.

However, religious leaders and Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro have raised alarm over what they describe as attempts by political actors to infiltrate and manipulate the programme for selfish gain.

Speaking during a youth gathering at Ufungamano House in Nairobi over the weekend, Nyoro cautioned politicians, including those in government, against associating themselves with the initiative with the aim of undermining it.

“People in government are trying to associate themselves with Niko Kadi so that they sabotage it, and I want to tell them it will not be possible to sabotage the programme,” he said.

Nyoro, who acknowledged his position as a politician, urged leaders to respect the independence of the youth-led movement, drawing parallels with the organisation demonstrated by young people during the 2024 protests.

“I am also a politician and I want the same way the young people organised themselves without interference in 2024 during protests to do the same now,” he said. “Those in government, in whatever they do, do not take it from them. It must be allowed to run organically.”

He further encouraged young people to remain focused and not be distracted by political interests.

“And to the young people, do not be distracted. Arm yourselves to do what you want to do next year during elections. And when I look at you, I think I know what you want to do,” he added.

Religious leaders echoed similar sentiments, warning that any attempt to politicise the initiative could erode its credibility and effectiveness.

They maintained that Niko Kadi represents a genuine grassroots effort to increase youth participation in democratic processes.

National Council of Churches of Kenya general secretary Rev. Canon Chris Kinyajui said there were credible concerns about a plot by some politicians to hijack the programme.

“Gen Z who refused to vote in the last General Elections, told us the election is a fuss, election would be stolen, and so on, now align very well with the Niko Kadi initiative,” Kinyajui said.

He urged young people to remain steadfast, drawing inspiration from biblical teachings.

“In the Bible, when others saw a giant too big to defeat, David saw a target too big to miss,” he said, encouraging the youth to seize the opportunity to shape the country’s future.

The developments come as the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) prepares to roll out the Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration (ECVR) exercise beginning March 30, 2026.

The month-long exercise, which will run until April 28, aims to register at least 2.5 million new voters across the country. According to the commission, the registration will be conducted in multiple locations, including county assembly wards, universities and colleges, Huduma Centres, constituency offices, and the IEBC Customer Experience Centre at Anniversary Towers in Nairobi.