Kenyan women have been urged to withhold sex from their husbands until they register to vote in the August elections.

Mishi Mboko, an MP in the African country, said it was the “best” strategy to adopt to increase the number of votes in opposition strongholds.

The women’s representative for the city of Mombasa told local media that sex was a powerful weapon and would serve as a bargaining chip for those reluctant to register.

“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.

Registration for the general election, when the country will select its next President, ends on 17 February.

Ms Mboko said her own husband would be spared from the boycott as he had already registered to vote, the The Standard newspaper reported.

Current President Uhuru Kenyatta will seek a second term in the upcoming vote.

However, he is expected to be challenged by an opposition candidate representing an alliance of opposition parties, including Ms Mboko's party the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).

Ms Mboko said it had reached the point where the elections needed to be taken “seriously” and called on women to take the step.

Sex boycotts are common in Kenya. In 2009, women activists held a week-long sex strike to get then President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga and their allies to reconcile after falling out.