NAIROBI, Kenya – Allan Ademba, the originator of the viral phrase “Tuko Kadi,” has clarified that the viral voter mobilization and registration drive is not a political movement.
He said the initiative aims to encourage citizens, especially young and first-time voters, to register and obtain IDs, with hopes of translating its growing support into 15 million votes in the August 2027 polls.
“To be honest, I was not sure Niko Kadi was going to be a movement or an initiative. It started with helping my friend go to register, and people joined,” he said.
He spoke during an appearance for an interview with a local radio station on Wednesday, April 1, 2026.
“Tuko Kadi is not a movement that is going to end at people registering to vote… what we are looking for is 15 million young Kenyans at the ballot going to vote,” he stated.
The ‘Tuko Kadi’ message has gained traction across social media, sparking conversations about civic participation ahead of the upcoming 2027 general elections.
“Mostly people from TikTok and X. What made it go viral was that we kept updating people on the progress, how many people had registered by 10 am, 12 pm and on, and the mainstream media caught wind of it, and it became a national conversation,” Ademba noted
However, Ademba maintains that the campaign is non-partisan and focused solely on increasing voter awareness and engagement, rather than promoting any political party or agenda.
He emphasized that the goal is to empower individuals to exercise their democratic rights, urging Kenyans to take part in the electoral process responsibly.
“I didn’t know it would go viral like that. Five days later, everyone is talking about it, politicians are jumping on it, and people want to be associated with it,” he said.
“It’s a Kenyan-led initiative now, not an Ademba-led initiative.”
He pointed out that politicians should not jump on this Kenyan-led initiative to preserve its authenticity and credibility.
“So this thing is fighting the voter apathy that has been there. And the only way that happens is to make it non-political. We don’t want politicians jumping on it because it is going to ruin it. It’s an organic initiative that should remain non-political,” Ademba cautioned.
