Embakasi East Member of Parliament (MP) Babu Owino has urged young Kenyans to turn up in large numbers to register as voters, linking the exercise to weekend activities such as watching English Premier League (EPL) matches.

In a message posted on X on Saturday, October 4, 2025, Babu called on youths in Nairobi to visit the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) constituency offices before heading out for football games.

Prioritise voter registration

He dismissed claims that the youth are only active online but fail to take part in electoral processes.

“Hao wadosi wanasema ati sisi youths huongea tu kwa mtandao but we can’t register as voters,” he wrote.

He added, “Leo before tuwatch EPL matches, tupitie at any IEBC constituency office in Nairobi, and we register in masses,” rallying young people to turn their online influence into action at registration centres.

Babu said the mobilisation was part of broader efforts to strengthen youth participation in shaping leadership, noting that registration was the first step toward meaningful change.

Voter mobilisation drive

The legislator’s latest call builds on his recent posts encouraging voter registration and vote transfers. On Friday, October 3, he shared a statement on Facebook urging Nairobi residents to take advantage of the ongoing IEBC drive, saying that transformation begins with registering for a voter’s card.

On September 30, he also used X to encourage youth to transfer their votes to Nairobi as he prepares to contest for the gubernatorial seat. He urged those who had completed registration or transfer to mobilise their peers to do the same, emphasising the need for collective participation ahead of the 2027 General Election.

The IEBC is currently conducting continuous voter registration at its constituency offices countrywide. The commission is targeting 6.3 million new registrants after about 8 million eligible voters abstained in 2022. Data from IEBC indicates that Nairobi has recorded the highest number of new registrations over the past four days.

Youth demography

Political figures have increasingly focused on youth mobilisation as campaigns intensify ahead of 2027. On October 3, Agano Party Secretary General Pessa Odanga described young people as a decisive bloc, estimating their combined voting power at over 13 million.

Former Chief Justice David Maraga has also launched a campaign to register five million new voters, underscoring the demographic’s potential to influence electoral outcomes. Meanwhile, former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has raised concerns over delays in national ID issuance, a key requirement for registration.

Babu’s latest voter registration push comes amid growing efforts by various leaders to encourage youth participation in the electoral process.