Low turnout and bribery claims mar by-elections

A voter has her fingerprints taken by an IEBC official at Bar Union polling centre in Kisumu North ward during the by-election on December 15, 2020. [Collins Oduor, Standard] 

Poor turnout marked the by-elections held yesterday in various wards across the country.

In Kisumu North, nine candidates battled it out for the seat left vacant after MCA Elisha Oraro resigned to be County Assembly speaker.

Learning for Standard Eight, Grade Four and Form Four students continued as voters trickled into the schools that were used as polling stations to cast their ballot.

Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Returning Officer Dennis Omari said, "We opted to work with the schools management and security officials to keep law and order and to observe Covid-19 regulations.”

ODM candidate Samuel Dede, Kennedy Wagoi (Maendeleo Chap Chap) and Ford Kenya's Gerald Ogada decried low turnout.

Others vying are Hanningtone Onyango (Movement for Democratic Growth), David Ayieko (Kadu-Asili) and independent candidates Dan Osila, Joshua Ogada and Walter Okello.

At Wachira Youth Polytechnic, only 120 voters had cast their votes out of the 591 registered voters by mid-day.

At Bar Union Primary School, 214 of the over 1,500 registered voters had voted by 10am.

Kisumu North ward has 16,000 registered voters, 30 polling stations and 15 polling centres.

At the Coast, besides the low voter turnout in Wundanyi-Mbale Ward, there were claims of voter bribery.

Matuga MP Kasim Tandaza claimed some candidates were bribing voters across various polling stations on the outskirts of Wundanyi town.

Police on patrol chased away some party agents alleged to have been dishing out money to the voters in the area.

The ward has 25 polling stations with 11,118 registered voters, and 14 are battling it out to replace MCA Beatrice Mwabili who died in March.

In Naivasha, the Lakeview ward by-election had by 2pm recorded only nine per cent of the 18,000 registered voters.

IEBC officials sort out election materials at Kisumu North ward tallying center on December 14, 2020. [Collins Oduor, Standard]

A spot check found clerks idling in the hope that the numbers would rise in the evening when flower farm workers ended their duty.

Returning officer David Mbui said the exercise was running smoothly with no hiccups reported.

Among the aspirants seeking the seat left vacant by the death of Karanja Mburu are George Mathu (Jubilee), Simon Wanyoike Wanango (New Young Democrats), Betty Kamau (DP) and Daniel Chege (independent).

Others are Reuben Gitau (PPK), Pius Onyangore (independent), Elizabeth Wanjiru (RBK), David Njau (FAP) and Viginia Wairimu (PNU).

The turnout story was the same across the 22 polling stations in Gaturi Ward, Murang'a County.

IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati visited Gaturi tallying centre and met election coordinators Joseph Mukewa (Murang’a County) and Faith Mugo (Kiharu Constituency).

He later visited Gaturi and Githundi polling stations where he supervised the electoral process and assured Kenyans the exercise would be free and fair.

“The responsibility of IEBC is to ensure the polls are free and fair,” said Chebukati.

The candidates hired motorcycles and vehicles to transport the aged and the sick to the polling stations.

At the polling stations, the IEBC officials sent back voters who showed up without face masks.

Jubilee Party candidate Rosemary Wakuthie claimed there was voter bribery.

“There were people placed in strategic positions where the voters were promised money should they vote for a certain candidate,” said Wakuthie.