EDITORIAL: Mobilise voters to register
The registration of voters for civic polls started yesterday, October 8, throughout the country. And yet, as a Mwananchi newspaper survey indicates, the turnout is lower than expected.
The exercise will be conducted for only seven days, paving the way for campaigns for the elections that will be conducted on November 24. It is crucial that people take advantage of the seven days to turn up and register.
But the situation is worrying and it calls for concerted efforts among stakeholders to mobilise people to register. We cannot leave the responsibility to mobilise the people to the government alone. Conducted every five years, civic polls are very crucial because they help elect leaders at the grassroots level. These leaders are key in service delivery and in maintaining peace and harmony in the communities. Political parties, civil society organisations and the media should join hands with the government to raise awareness.
Corrupt and inept civic leaders have been the cause of untold sufferings and sloppy service delivery to many communities, especially in rural areas.
More efforts should be made in the awareness campaign to enable the people to differentiate between registering for the civic polls and registering for the General Election 2020, the exercise that is also going on.
