Hundreds of former Mungiki adherents in Mathira, Nyeri County, are shying away from registering themselves as voters in the ongoing voter mass registration process by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.

The youths are fearing that the identification details captured by BVR machines will be used by authorities to arrest and prosecute them for the past crimes committed.

They have since expressed their fears publicly, citing that once their fingerprints are recorded by the machines, they will be easily tracked by police and arrested.

This has been a major contributor to voter apathy in the area.

“Those youths have now reformed; some are even doing very well in churches. After all, it is their right to exercise their democracy and elect their favourite candidates. So, let them be allowed to register and vote,” said a Mathira parliamentary hopeful Rigathi Gachagua.

The aspirant said that he would ensure that the 29,000 Identification cards which still lie uncollected in Mathira are collected for the individuals to register as voters.