12,000 polling officers to oversee elections in Meru County

Meru Governor, Peter Munya [FILE/PHOTO]

Meru County with over 12,000 elections officials is set for the General Elections according to county returning officer Gichichi Macharia.

Macharia says the officials including Presiding and Deputy Presiding Officers for the 1477 polling stations in the area each with six clerks were fully trained and waiting to take the voters through the exercise on Tuesday.

According to Macharia, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) had already distributed the strategic and non-strategic materials to the constituency tallying centres from the the county go downs.

Gubernatorial candidates include incumbent Peter Munya on a Party of National Unity (PNU) ticket, longest serving legislator in the former Eastern province Kiraitu Murungi on Jubilee, former presidential adviser on education Dr Kilemi Mwiria on a Maendeleo Chap Chap, Dr Kiambi Atheru as an independent, first term Buuri MP Gatobu Kinoti also as an independent and Winnie Kaburu on Wiper Party. Kinoti threw in the towel early this week in favour of Kiraitu.

The senatorial aspirants are two term Igembe South MP Mithika Linturi on Jubilee ticket, city lawyer Mugambi Imanyara on a PNU ticket, Gideon Thuranira on a MCC ticket, Zabron Mathenge on a Mazingira Greens ticket and independents Kobia Maranya and Anderson Kathendu.

Women representative aspirants include incumbent Florence Kajuju of Jubilee, Kawira Mwangaza and Independent and Elizabeth Karambu Kailemia of PNU.

In 2013, 384,290 (89 percent) voted for Uhuru Kenyatta of the Jubilee coalition. There was also 32,447 (8 percent) voting for Raila Odinga of the CORD coalition.

The turnout for the presidential election, in Meru County, was 88 percent. There are now 702,480 registered voters in the area which has nine constituencies.