Wetangula Announces Ksh.1M Reward for Top-Performing Bungoma Chief in ID and Voter Registration
National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula has launched a competition to boost national identity card (ID) and voter registrations in Bungoma County, offering a Ksh.1 million cash prize to the chief who leads in the drive.
Speaking during a meeting with political leaders and administrators from Bungoma, Wetangula urged them to capitalize on President William Ruto’s recent directive exempting National ID applicants from vetting. He emphasized that this policy shift should accelerate the registration process in border counties like Bungoma.
In February 2025, President Ruto signed the Presidential Proclamation on Registration and Issuance of IDs to Border Counties. This move was aimed at streamlining the process, particularly for residents in historically disadvantaged regions like the northeastern part of Kenya, who previously faced extra vetting hurdles before acquiring birth certificates and national identity cards.
Wetangula reminded attendees that the presidential order not only benefited the northeastern region but also applied to many other border counties, including Bungoma. He questioned why Bungoma, despite being Kenya’s third-most populated county, had only recorded around 600,000 registered voters in the 2022 General Election.
Citing the 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census, which placed Bungoma’s population at 1.6 million, Wetangula stressed the need for voter registration numbers to align with the county’s demographic size.
To address this gap, he announced a competition among chiefs, rewarding the top-performing chief and their assistant with Ksh.1 million by mid-2026.
“Bungoma is the third largest county in Kenya after Nairobi and Kakamega. But when you compare voter registrations, Nakuru has 1 million, Kiambu 1.2 million, Nairobi nearly 3 million, yet Bungoma remains at 600,000. How will we be taken seriously?” he questioned.
“I want to challenge you chiefs—I’m launching a competition within the county. By mid-next year, the chief and assistant who record the highest number of new ID and voter registrations will receive Ksh.1 million,” he announced.
Additionally, Wetangula urged leaders to encourage residents to enroll in the Social Health Authority (SHA) program to ensure they benefit from its healthcare coverage.
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Wetangula Announces Ksh.1M Reward for Top-Performing Bungoma Chief in ID and Voter Registration
