Kiss the Bride, Mourn the Dead, Register to Vote in Kenya

Biometric voter registration. PHOTO | JOSEPH KANYI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

NAIROBI, KENYA  

As Kenya’s voter registration drive continues, leaders are proposing creative ways to encourage people to sign up, including having electoral officials set up facilities at weddings and funerals, and even denying churchgoers the Holy Communion.

Kenya’s electoral body says it is targeting about 9 million Kenyans over the age of 18 who have a national ID card or passport, but who have not yet registered to vote.

Spiritual and political leaders, among others, are coming up with innovative ways to increase those numbers.

Member of parliament for Kilifi county Gunga Mwinga recently proposed that the electoral commission begin registering voters at weddings, palm wine ceremonies, local drinking establishments and even funerals.

“Because these are places where people are,” said Mwinga.“They go there in large numbers. And they should be able to register a good number of people if they take the machines there, instead of somebody sitting in a school, where they will only register like three or five people in a day.”READ MORE

Source: http://www.voanews.com/