No sex unless you register to vote: Kenyan MP issues warning

The Mombasa Women Representative reportedly said she wouldn’t have to withhold sex herself – her husband has already registered to vote.

[File Image] Mishi Juma Mboko gives an address on January 11, 2017, Source: TONY KARUMBA / Stringer / Getty Images

Mishi Mboko, an MP from the coastal city of Mombassa, Kenya, has urged women in opposition strongholds to withhold sex unless their partners register to vote.

“Women, this is the strategy you should adopt. It is the best. Deny them sex until they show you their voter's card,” she said, according to local media reports.

“Deny him a little and tell him to go get registered and then come back and enjoy the game.”

Voter registration ends on February 17, ahead of the national election on August 8.

It's not the first time a sex boycott has been used for political reasons in Kenya. In 2009, thousands of Kenyan women vowed to begin a week-long sex strike to protest their country's bickering leadership.

National elections have a troubled history in Kenya - disputed results in 2007 led to a period of post-election ethnic violence which left more than 1,000 dead and thousands more displaced.

Current President Uhuru Kenyatta and Vice President William Ruto were both indicted by the International Criminal Court for inciting the violence, though the charges were later dismissed in a decision surrounded by accusations of witness intimidation and political interference.

Despite facing charges at the time, Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto were successful in 2013 elections, deemed peaceful and credible by outside observers.

Australian Federal Election: Why you should vote