KONDELE,25th June 2026 –Thousands of Kisumu residents on Thursday gathered at the busy Kondele roundabout not for demonstration but to secure their democratic future through an enhanced voter and national identity card registration drive.
While a section of the country particularly in the capital Nairobi took to the streets to commemorate the lives lost during the 2024 Gen Z protests, Kisumu remained a beacon of calm and civility.
Normalcy prevailed across the city as residents engaged in their daily economic activities.
The atmosphere at Kondele was one of order with long queues of young people waiting patiently to be registered.
Local administrators and stakeholders lauded the community for embracing peace, a stark contrast to previous demonstrations that often left trails of destruction and loss of lives.
The Assistant Chief of Northern Sub location, John Migun who was on the ground overseeing the process noted the unprecedented turnout, emphasizing that the exercise was a crucial opportunity for the youth to claim their stake in the nation’s governance.
“We are doing mass registration of IDs. We are also guiding those who have IDs to register as voters. Currently, we are targeting the age group that has not been registered before,” he said.
Migun confirmed that the bulk of the applicants were new, with youths aged between 18 and 19 years forming the majority and a small percentage of the applicants who were seeking renewal of IDs.
“I’ve done more than 75 registrations myself since this morning, and we are targeting to hit over 800 new applicants by close of the exercise.,” he added.
Joshua Owino, the chairman of Bunge la Wanainchi Kondele branch, emphasized that the era of street activism as a primary tool for grievance resolution was a relic of the past.
“The street demonstrations have left us with lifetime scares. We want to encourage our people to engage the government through dialogue instead of street violence. This is a past tactic of the 90s that is no longer applicable in the present-day life,” Owino asserted.
He further commended the government for bringing crucial services closer to the people, noting that the registration initiative would ensure Kisumu residents are fully prepared to participate in the 2027 general elections.
Angneta Rodi, a resident of Kondele ward, echoed the sentiments stating that the community had made a deliberate decision to save the lives of young people who have previously borne the heavy burden of police brutality.
She appealed to the Interior Principal Secretary, Dr. Raymond Omollo, to ensure that families affected by previous demonstrations are compensated as part of serving justice.
Rose Opondo one of the mobilizers and a resident of Migosi ward, highlighted the grassroots nature of the campaign, noting they have been moving door-to-door to encourage participation.
“Kisumu has demonstrated to the entire nation that civility can prevail. We can use available structures to address grievances without turning to street violence,” she said, adding that acquiring IDs would enable the youth to access government programs like the Nyota fund disbursement and affordable housing jobs.
In contrast, the rest of the nation remained on high alert with reports from Nairobi indicating heavy police presence along the Thika Superhighway and direct confrontations in the Githurai area, with businesses closing in precaution. However, in Kisumu, the narrative remained distinctly focused on building a future through the power of the ballot.
