By Andrew E. K. Maina
kimemia.maina@gmail.com
Extremely low voter turnout marked both days of of the voter sensitization training held by the Electoral Commission of Daystar (ECD). the training 14th and 15th of October in Athi River and on the 14th in Valley Road Campuses of Daystar University.
Less than 30 people showed up for the each of the two days activity in the Amphitheatre of Athi River campus, with even lower numbers said to have participated in Valley Road.
“The turnout was really really low. But it happens.” Clifford Kabo, an ECD commissioner for Athi River Campus said at the end of the Athi training exercise. “For us, we did our part and for those that didn’t come, we will try to send them illustrations or tutorials on how to do the voting.”
The training exercise was intended to educate student voters in the DUSA on the new voting structures for the newly introduced DUSA Congress, and how the Congress will establish an electoral college to elect the DUSA council.
However, there seems to have been very little awareness or interest on the part of Daystar students in the process. The Training sessions were conducted by various ECD officials, with ECD Vice-Chair Faith Riungu, ECD Chief Executive Officer, Consul Simiyu, and Athi River Commissioners Kabo Clifford and Martin Mugendi present on the second day of the Athi River exercise.
“I expected more people to come because we are learning about voting.” Nick Keyu, a Communication Studies student in Athi River said. I don’t know much about it (the voter education exercise) myself, but I would attend another one,” he added.
The training exercise was also intended to double up as an introduction to a new electronic voting system which will be used by students to select their representatives on the DUSA Congress.