Kalonzo Rallies Youth and Academia at Wiper Headquarters, Calls for Voter Registration Drive

Kalonzo Rallies Youth and Academia at Wiper Headquarters, Calls for Voter Registration Drive

By MAXIMILLA WAFULA & PATRICK KIMANZI 

The COUNTY DIARY

Wiper Democratic Movement leader Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka on Monday turned the party headquarters into a hive of youthful energy and political discourse, hosting university student leaders, legislators, and party stalwarts under the newly branded Wiper Patriotic Front.

The event, attended by MPs including Gideon Mulyungi (Mwingi Central), Dan Maanzo (Makueni), and Makali Mulu (Kitui Central), was themed “The Role of Academia in National Governance.” It drew participation from over 240 institutions, with student leaders pressing for voter registration desks within universities to boost youth participation in 2027.

University of Technology student leader Alex Mwangi captured the mood, urging the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to decentralize voter registration: “Eighty percent‐ of comrades are unregistered. IEBC must set up desks in our campuses and employ students to register their peers.”

Kalonzo endorsed the demand, insisting IEBC had the resources to decentralize registration: “If you are serious, IEBC, heed the students. With the billions you’ve requested, you can place registration centres in every institution.”

The gathering also featured Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, who electrified comrades with fiery remarks on the cost of education and the plight of students during Gen Z protests: “Any government that taxes comrades heavily, charges exorbitant fees, and still kills them during protests is illegitimate. The time is now-register and vote them out.”

Kalonzo emphasized that education remains central to national development and reiterated his pledge for free secondary education and a revitalized university financing model. He also announced that on October 10th, the Wiper Patriotic Front will hold its National Delegates Congress, where chapters in all public institutions will be launched.

“Democracy must be backstopped by activism. The young people are the backbone of Kenya’s liberation,” Kalonzo declared.