Developing Story: UDA candidate distances himself from voter bribery claims in Machakos poll

UDA candidate Urbanus Ngengele cast his vote at Mwala DEB Primary School where he distanced himself from people who have been arrested for bribing voters.

"I did my campaigns well and I don't need to bribe voters. My lawyers are working where some of my supporters have been arrested,” Ngengele said.

Wiper Senatorial candidate Agnes Kavindu voted at Kathome polling centre accompanied by Transport CAS Wavinya Ndeti.

Voting for the Machakos senator is underway as the exercise kicked-off with a low turnout.

IEBC officials ahead of the voting in Machakos on March 18, 2021. [David Gichuru, Standard]

Voters will be electing a Senator to replace Boniface Kabaka who died in December while receiving treated at a Nairobi hospital. 

On the ballot are three candidates: Maendeleo Chap Chap’s Mutua Katuku who withdrew his candidature on Tuesday 16 March, Agnes Kavindu of Wiper Party and UDA’s Urbanus Ngengele.

Katuku withdrew from the race two days to the polls but did not make an official announcement to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). His name is on the ballot.

Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua described the move as “extending goodwill to the President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga, along with other BBI partners. He said the Maendeleo Chap Chap Party supported the re-election of President Uhuru Kenyatta and is backing his development agenda.  

Speaking after he cast his vote at Mathatani primary school, Mutua said the withdrawal of the Maendeleo Chap Chap candidate from the by-election was strategic.

National Assembly deputy minority leader Robert Mbui at the Kalunga Primary School in Kathiani, Machakos county on March 18, 2021. [David Gichuru, Standard]

Registered voters

Machakos County is widely considered the lower Eastern's economic and political capital. It has about 624,000 registered voters according to data from the IEBC website. By constituency, as at the voters' list published by IEBC in 2017, Mavoko has 118,180 registered voters, Machakos town 109,877 voters and Mwala has 81,273 voters. 

The Machakos by-election for the Senate seat has been billed as a supremacy battle between top political leaders.

Transport CAS Wavinya Ndeti voting at Athi River social hall on March 18, 2021. [David Gichuru, Standard]

The by-election will be a litmus test for bigwigs who have been fighting to stamp their authority in the region.

Voters were allowed at Mulu Mutisya grounds polling station from 6am.

Ndeti voted at the Athi River social hall polling station and asked Machakos residents to come out to vote.

Machakos county has eight constituencies, with 11 candidates participating.

[Additional reporting by David Gichuru, Jael Mboga, Erastus Mulwa, Elvis Makau]