Photojournalist Allan Ademba has raised concerns about voter-registration mobilization efforts, noting that some young people expect financial incentives to participate.
In a statement shared after his reception in Kitale during the Niko Kadi Mashinani initiative on Saturday, Ademba warned that this trend could undermine voluntary civic engagement in the exercise.
He also warned that there is a risk of possible political infiltration before the end of the registration drive, which could affect the integrity of the process.
“The problem is most youths want money, and we might face political infiltration before the day ends,” said Ademba.
Despite these concerns, Ademba said the voter registration mobilization in Kitale has seen encouraging participation and described the overall early progress as promising.
Ademba Takes Part in Voter Registration Mobilization
He noted that registration mobilization has reported strong early participation following the use of local influencers and TikTokers to encourage public engagement.
Also Read: Allan Ademba and Willie Oeba: The Gen Z Voices Behind “Niko Kadi” Movement
Ademba noted that the Tuko Kadi Mashinani team got a warm reception, leading to what he described as a massive number of registrations in the initial stages of the exercise.
The phrase ‘Niko Kadi’ was launched on March 17, 2026, and is aimed at mobilizing young people to register as voters.
Across the country, it has become a way for young people to announce that they have registered to vote, holding up their voter cards with pride and tagging friends to do the same.
In Nairobi, Ademba led a citizen-driven mass voter registration exercise in Kasarani, dubbed #TukoKadi, rallying 641 Kenyans to register to vote in the 2027 general elections.
He previously confirmed that the initiative’s impact has reached over 200,000 new registrations nationwide by shifting focus to constituency offices across the country.
IEBC Records an Increase in Voter Registration
Earlier, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) reported tremendous progress in the ongoing Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration (ECVR) exercise, which began on March 30 and will run until April 28, 2026.
IEBC Chairperson Erastus Edung Ethekon said 875,501 new voters had been registered as of April 9, reflecting an increase of 531,185 voters since the last update issued on April 3.
Also Read: Kiambu and Machakos Among Top Counties in Voter Registration as IEBC Releases Detailed Breakdown
The electoral body also noted that 49,502 voter transfers and 1,066 updates of voter particulars had been recorded.
Voter registration is being conducted across all 1,450 County Assembly Wards, institutions of higher learning, Huduma Centers, constituency offices, and the Customer Experience Center at Anniversary Towers.
In county participation, Nairobi is leading the exercise, followed by Kiambu County.
Counties with the lowest registration include Mandera, Elgeyo Marakwet, Lamu, Tana River, and Isiolo.
