Ademba praises Sifuna for recognising voter registration push

Civic activist Allans Ademba /HANDOUT

Civic activist Allans Ademba has expressed gratitude to Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna for acknowledging his efforts to encourage Kenyans to register as voters.

Ademba, a prominent figure in the “Tuko Kadi” movement, said he was deeply appreciative of the recognition, noting that it had greatly encouraged his ongoing civic mobilisation work.

“Thank you Edwin Sifuna, nimelala uchi jana juu ya furaha (I slept naked yesterday because of the joy). At least I am doing something,” he posted on X.

Sifuna on Tuesday called for a state commendation to be awarded to Ademba.

Speaking on the floor of the Senate, Sifuna described Ademba’s efforts as exceptional contribution to civic education and voter registration, particularly among young people.

The senator said Ademba’s efforts had led to the registration of more than a million new voters within a short period, achieved largely through grassroots mobilisation and digital platforms.

“As a leader of a political party myself, we have run multiple registration drives in previous elections, and we know just how difficult it is,” Sifuna said.

“I want to take this opportunity to commend the young people of this country who have decided that they are going to run this registration drive themselves.”

He said if there was ever a person in this country who deserves a state commendation, it is that young man who has mobilised the Tuko Kadi movement.

Sifuna argued that the scale and impact of the initiative warranted formal recognition, noting that the activist and his team had delivered results comparable to, or exceeding, those of well-funded institutions.

“What Ademba has been able to achieve in terms of registration of over a million young people in a very short space, I think even some of these titles that some of us have should be given to people like him because of the civic education he is doing,” he said.

He pointed out that the mobilisation had been carried out with significantly fewer resources compared to those allocated to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), which is mandated to oversee voter registration.

Sifuna also appeared to draw comparisons with past state recognitions, suggesting that similar or greater achievements should not go unnoticed.

Meanwhile, IEBC has ruled out extending the ongoing Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration (ECVR) exercise beyond the April 28 deadline.

Commissioner Hassan Noor made the announcement during a high-level meeting with security officials in Isiolo county, as the country enters the final stretch of the nationwide voter registration drive.

“We have only six days left. I urge all eligible Kenyans to come forward and register now because time is running out and the current turnout remains significantly low,” Hassan said.

The commissioner emphasised that there would be no extension to the exercise, underscoring the importance of meeting the set timelines.