National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula addressing the youth at his rural home in Bungoma County/HANDOUT
National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula has called on
Kenyan youth to aggressively take advantage of the government’s waiver on
national identity card registration fees.
Wetang’ula said getting IDs is a critical step toward economic
empowerment and full political participation ahead of the 2027 General
Election.
Speaking at his rural home in Bungoma County, where he
hosted a large delegation of local youth for a consultative forum, Wetang’ula
emphasised that holding an identity card is no longer just a bureaucratic
requirement but a powerful tool for civic duty and personal advancement.
During the engagement, the Speaker heavily focused on the
Kenya Kwanza administration’s policy directive to scrap fees for both first-time
ID applicants and those seeking replacements.
The policy change is aimed at removing financial barriers
that have historically locked millions of underprivileged young citizens out of
the formal economy and the voter register.
“I encouraged them to take full advantage of the
Government’s decision to waive fees for first-time national identity card
registration and ID replacement,” the Speaker noted in a statement posted
on his social media platforms.
“Possession of this vital document not only grants
access to essential services and opportunities but also empowers every citizen
to exercise their constitutional right to participate in the democratic process
through voting.”
Beyond civic documentation, the meeting shifted to the
upcoming 2027 political landscape.
Wetang’ula utilised the platform to rally the Western Kenya
youth demographic behind President William Ruto’s re-election campaign.
He argued that a massive youth voter turnout would be
decisive in securing continuity for the country’s current economic trajectory.
He called upon the youth of Bungoma County to remain
actively engaged in national development and to support the re-election of
President William Samoei Ruto in the 2027 General Election.
National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula addressing the youth at his rural home in Bungoma County/HANDOUT
To validate his pitch for the administration’s retention,
the National Assembly Speaker highlighted several multi-billion-shilling
transformative infrastructure projects currently underway or in the pipeline.
Among these are the dualling of the Mau Summit–Rironi Highway
and the planned extension of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) from Naivasha to
the Malaba border town.
According to Wetang’ula, these landmark investments are
poised to enhance connectivity, facilitate seamless trade, create immediate
employment opportunities, reduce traffic congestion, and significantly improve
road safety for millions of Kenyans.
However, the Speaker warned that these development
milestones could easily be derailed if the country succumbs to political instability.
He took a firm stance against political intolerance, warning
the youth against being weaponised by self-serving political factions to cause
chaos or disrupt public order.
He urged the youth to reject the politics of hatred,
division, and ethnic polarisation.