The Commission was allocated Sh1.2 billion out of the Sh4 billion it had requested to carry out the exercise.
The polls agency launched the exercise on October 4 and was targeting to register at least six million new voters by November 2.
IEBC attributed the low voter turn out to a general voter apathy, insecurity in parts of Lamu, Baringo and Laikipia counties as well along the Kenya-Somalia border.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) will not extend the countrywide mass listing of voters due to lack of funds despite a court order.
IEBC Vice chairperson Juliana Cherera said there is no budget to carry on with the exercise even by a single day, despite a court order extending the registration to November 9.
The Commission was allocated Sh1.2 billion out of the Sh4 billion it had requested to carry out the exercise.
The Commission had registered 760,000 Kenyans by October 26 against a target of 4.5 million new voters by that week.
The polls agency launched the exercise on October 4 and was targeting to register at least six million new voters by November 2.
“The mass voter registration exercise can’t be extended. We can’t start making plans unless we have been assured of funds,” said Ms Cherera yesterday without disclosing the amount needed for the one week extension
The mass registration is part of the electoral agency's Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration (ECVR) exercise that started on October and was set to end yesterday before the court action.
Nandi County had the highest turnout with 6,319 persons registered to hit a six percent achievement followed by Narok with 6,007 persons (5 percent), in the first week of the exercise.
Mombasa in the first two weeks of listing drive registered a paltry 4, 486 persons out of 190,237 potential new voters.
IEBC attributed the low voter turn out to a general voter apathy, insecurity in parts of Lamu, Baringo and Laikipia counties as well along the Kenya-Somalia border.
After the registration, data will be compiled and cleaned before the voters verify their details for a month early next year.
A final register will then be out marking the final phase ahead of the August 9 General Elections.
The commission will also conduct mass voter registration for the diaspora in December.
The IEBC will include six more countries in its diaspora list, namely South Africa, the US, UK, Canada, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Voters living in Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and South Africa participated in the 2017 General Elections.
The commission aims to register 25 million voters ahead of the next polls, up from the current 19.6 million.
