KISUMU, Kenya, June 25 — Hundreds of young people in Kisumu on Thursday turned up for voter registration and national identification document services instead of participating in street demonstrations as the country marked the first anniversary of the 2024 anti-Finance Bill protests.

Long queues were witnessed in Kondele, where mainly Gen Z youths gathered to register as voters, apply for national identity cards and replace lost documents in an exercise aimed at bringing government services closer to residents.

The exercise unfolded peacefully, contrasting with concerns over possible unrest during commemorations of last year’s protests, which left several young people dead across the country.

For many of the youths, the event provided an opportunity to prepare for participation in the 2027 General Election through the ballot rather than demonstrations.

One of the participants, Brenda Akinyi, said young people had chosen to focus on obtaining the documents necessary to influence leadership through democratic means.

“Instead of venturing into the streets to protest, we have converged here to look for critical documents that will help us vote for leaders who are development-conscious,” she said.

Akinyi added that the calm atmosphere in Kisumu reflected a growing preference among residents for peaceful engagement and dialogue.

“Businesses are open, traffic is moving smoothly and as residents we are happy. The youths in Kisumu have chosen peace and will not barricade roads anymore,” she said.

Across the lakeside city, businesses continued operating normally, with public transport services running uninterrupted and no major incidents reported during the day.

Organisers of the registration drive said the initiative was intended to encourage more young people to acquire essential civic documents ahead of the next election cycle.

Michael Mihendo, one of the organisers, said the date had been deliberately selected because it coincided with the Gen Z anniversary, offering an opportunity to mobilise youths towards civic participation.

According to Mihendo, many young people still face challenges accessing identification cards and voter registration services, making outreach programmes necessary.

“We are not against commemorating the anniversary. What we want is a peaceful observance that does not interfere with people who have opened their businesses. We want young people to arm themselves with the documents they need to vote in 2027,” he said.

He noted that the calm witnessed in Kisumu demonstrated how citizens can express their views peacefully while allowing economic activities to continue without disruption.

The exercise attracted scores of first-time voters and youths seeking replacement identification documents, with organisers expressing optimism that more young people would participate in future civic registration drives.