Why Prof Ojienda Has Hired Caravan for ID and Voter Registration Drive in Kisumu

By Kepher Otieno - Reporter

Kenya, 11 December 2025 - Kisumu Senator Prof Tom Ojienda has intensified grassroots mobilisation across the county to complement the ongoing national campaign led by Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo, aimed at encouraging young eligible Kenyans to acquire national identification cards and register as voters ahead of the next election cycle.

In a coordinated effort that has drawn attention across the region, the senator has hired a branded truck to traverse various towns and trading centres, rallying youth to seize what he describes as a “defining moment” in shaping the country’s political future.

Speaking during one of the stopovers in Katito on Wednesday, Prof Ojienda said his initiative is designed to reinforce and operationalise the broader civic-responsibility message championed by the Interior Ministry.

“Our young people must not stand on the sidelines,” he said.

“This campaign is not about politics; it’s about empowerment. Possessing an ID and registering to vote gives every young person the power to influence decisions that shape their lives. I am only complementing the good work already spearheaded by Dr Omollo to make sure we leave no youth behind.”

The senator’s mobilisation truck, fitted with loudspeakers, banners and voter-education materials, has been circulating through densely populated neighbourhoods, markets, school gates and bus stages.

Volunteers accompanying the caravan offer guidance on ID application centres, documentation requirements, and the steps involved in voter registration.

According to Prof Ojienda, the goal is to reduce barriers—both logistical and psychological—that discourage young people from completing the process.

“Some youths simply lack information or assume the process is tedious,” he noted.

“When we bring the information directly to them, they realise it is easy, fast and worth doing.”

PS Omollo welcomed the collaboration, describing it as a strong signal of shared commitment to democratic participation.

In a statement during his own tour of Nyanza region, the PS commended leaders who are using their platforms to mobilise young people constructively.

“What we are seeing in Kisumu is exactly the kind of partnership the country needs,” Dr Omollo said.

“National registration is not a task for government alone.

When leaders like Senator Ojienda step forward to amplify the message, we accelerate progress. Our priority is ensuring that every eligible youth has an ID, understands the importance of civic duty, and turns up to register as a voter.”

Dr Omollo emphasised that the national campaign is not merely bureaucratic but anchored in democratic values.

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He argued that Kenya’s future stability and prosperity depend on an informed, engaged and youthful electorate. “Young people form the majority of our population,” he said.

“If they do not participate in elections, their voices are missing from national decision-making. We urge them to take advantage of the ongoing registration drives, mobile outreach teams and Huduma centres across the country.”

The collaboration between the senator and the PS has been widely interpreted as a deliberate effort to counter voter apathy, which has affected youth turnout in previous elections. Civic groups in Kisumu have also expressed support for the joint mobilisation.

Several youth leaders accompanying the caravan said the initiative gives them a sense of inclusion and visibility.

They highlighted that leaders actively engaging them—rather than waiting for them to seek services—helps build stronger democratic habits.

As the caravan continues its rounds across Kisumu’s rural and urban centres, Ojienda reiterated that the campaign would remain non-partisan and focus purely on empowerment.

“This is not about who you vote for,” he told a gathering in Kondele.

“It is about ensuring you have the right—and the means—to vote. Democracy thrives when everyone participates.”

Both Senator Ojienda and PS Omollo among others like Kisumu central MP Dr Joshua Oron, have committed to sustaining the mobilisation efforts in the coming weeks, signalling a continued push to ensure that eligible youth across Kisumu, and the country at large, are equipped and motivated to engage fully in the electoral process.

Dr Omollo on his part is expected to mobilise the youth in Siaya County on Thursday (today) to apply for IDs and for eligible ones to register as voters.

Interior Ministry figures reveal over 1.5 million adults in Migori, Siaya, Homa Bay, and Kisumu counties still lack national identity cards.

An ongoing nationwide ID registration campaign has exposed a massive number of unregistered adults in Nyanza, a finding likely to increase the region’s voting population ahead of the 2027 elections.

The Ministry of Interior and the Department of Immigration are spearheading the drive, which has highlighted a persistent backlog of eligible adults who have never been issued national IDs.