LIVE BLOG: Jubilee leading in Muguga ward as tallying continues

Provisional results in the Muguga ward by-election show Jubilee candidate Joseph Githinji is in the lead.

Our reporter at Karuri High School tallying centre has captured an IEBC screen showing Githinji leading with 4,089 votes.

He was followed by UDA's Peter Thumbi with 4,062.

These figures were from 29 out of 29 polling stations in the ward, with counting still going on....

Updates: 

6.20pm: Security heightened at Muguga Primary ahead of vote counting

Security has been heightened at Muguga Primary where vote tallying is expected to start amid allegations that some unnamed people are planning to transport stuffed ballot boxes into the station.

5.20pm: Polling stations closed in Kiambaa

Polling stations closed in Kiambaa Constituency. [Emannuel Too,Standard]

IEBC officials count votes at Karuri High school polling station in Kiambaa constituency. [Emmanuel Too, Standard]

1:55pm: IEBC chair Wafula Chebukati addresses the press on the ongoing process; warns against any attempts to disrupt Kiambaa and Muguga by-elections.

IEBC chair Wafula Chebukati addressing the press in Kiambaa, Kiambu County. [Fidelis Kabunyi, Standard]

1:50pm: Jubilee candidate Joseph Githinji votes at Kahuho Uhuru High School during Muguga Ward by-election. He expressed confidence in securing the seat after heated campaigns.

Jubilee candidate Joseph Githinji at Kahuho Uhuru High School, Muguga Ward. [Fidelis Kabunyi, Standard]

Jubilee candidate Joseph Githinji in a voting booth at Kahuho Uhuru High School, Muguga Ward. [Fidelis Kabunyi, Standard]

Jubilee candidate Joseph Githinji casts his vote at Kahuho Uhuru High School, Muguga Ward. [Fidelis Kabunyi, Standard]

11:30am: Murang'a Woman Representative Sabina Chege and Kieni MP Kanini Kega speak at Gachie, exude confidence that Jubilee's candidate Kariri Njama will emerge as the winner in today's poll.

11:20am:  Jubilee Party candidate in the Kiambaa by-election, Kariri Njama, casts his vote at Gachie.

Jubilee candidate Kariri Njama at Gachie Primary School, Kiambaa. [George Njunge, Standard]

Jubilee candidate Kariri Njama casting his vote at Gachie Primary School, Kiambaa. [George Njunge, Standard]

Jubilee candidate Kariri Njama speaks to the press after voting at Gachie Primary School, Kiambaa. [George Njunge, Standard]

11:00am: UDA candidate John Njuguna Wanjiku arrives at Thindibwa polling station to cast his vote.

UDA candidate John Njuguna Wanjiku at Thindibwa polling station, Kiambaa. [Emmanuel Too, Standard]

UDA candidate John Njuguna Wanjiku at Thindibwa polling station voting booth in Kiambaa. [Emmanuel Too, Standard]

UDA candidate John Njuguna Wanjiku casting his vote at Thindibwa polling station. [Emmanuel Too, Standard]

9:25am: Jubilee Majority Leader and Kipipiri MP Amos Kimunya ejected by a group of rowdy youths from Kimuga Polling Station.

9:10am: Peoples Party of Kenya candidate Peter Njoroge Mugo casts his vote at Muguga Primary School. Four candidates are battling it out to find a replacement for Eliud Ngugi who died in March.

Peoples Party of Kenya candidate Peter Njoroge Mugo casts his vote at Muguga Primary School, Muguga Ward, Kabete. [Fidelis Kabunyi, Standard]

Voters queuing to vote at Muguga Primary School, Muguga Ward, Kabete. [Fidelis Kabunyi, Standard]

Man walks away after casting his vote in Muguga Ward, Kabete. [Geff Kirui, Standard]

Elderly women being assisted to a polling centre at Muguga Ward, Kabete. [Fidelis Kabunyi, Standard]

A person with disability being assisted out of Muguga Primary School after casting his vote. [Fidelis Kabunyi, Standard]

Lucy Wanja being assisted as she makes her way into Muguga Primary School polling centre. [Fidelis Kabunyi, Standard]

8:30am: UDA candidate Peter Thumbi Kamau casts his vote at Muguga Primary School. He is vying for the Muguga MCA seat.

UDA candidate Kamau Thumbi shortly after voting at Muguga Primary School. [Fidelis Kabunyi, Standard]

A voter casting her ballot at Karuri High School polling station in Banana, Kiambaa Constituency. [Allan Mungai, Standard]

6:00am: Polling stations open in Kiambaa Constituency.

IEBC officials at Karuri Primary School, Kiambaa. [George Njunge, Standard]

Voters queue at Karuri Primary School polling centre in Kiambaa Constituency. [Emmanuel Too, Standard]

Policemen stand guard at Karuri Primary School. [George Njunge, Standard]

Voters queue at Muguga Primary School in Muguga ward. [Standard]

There was low turn out at Wangige primary for the Muguga ward by-election.

Voters at Wangige Primary School, Muguga ward. [Geff Kirui, Standard]

Muguga by-election 

The Muguga Ward by-election was occasioned by the death of area MCA Eliud Ngugi.

Ngugi died on March 16 of Covid-19 complications while undergoing treatment at the Kenyatta University hospital.

The late Ngugi was elected to the seat in 2017 under the Jubilee Party ticket.

Muguga ward is in Kabete Constituency, Kiambu County. 

Kiambaa by-election: The journey

The Kiambaa parliamentary by-election was prompted by the death of Paul Koinange who was serving his second term after being elected in 2013 and 2017.

Koinange died of Covid-19 while undergoing treatment. He was buried at his ancestral home in Kiambaa on April 4th 2021.

The late Kiambaa MP Paul Koinange. [Kelvin Karani, Standard]

The Kiambaa campaigns have been hot in the last 21 days with Jubilee-allied members and UDA-leaning MPs and senators fanning out in the populous county.

The contest has been billed as a supremacy contest between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto.

The two teams have well-oiled online teams which tore into each other in a vicious propaganda war.

So important is the by-election that the deputy president at one time camped in the constituency campaigning for the UDA candidate.

The two camps have spared no resources to campaign for their respective candidates. The teams have crisscrossed Kiambaa wards in droves day after day.

The Jubilee team lead by Limuru MP Peter Mwathi who succeeded Paul Koinange as the chairman of Parliamentary Select Committee on Security, Kieni MP Kanini Kega and social media influencer Pauline Njoroge met often to strategise on how to help the jubilee candidate to bag the seat.

It's a political duel for President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto as residents of Kiambaa constituency and Muguga ward hit the ballot box today. [File, Standard]

The team would meet and dispatch high-powered campaign contingents across the constituency in trucks and SUVs. The team would set base in the vote-rich Ruaka, Banana, Cianda, Karuri, Gachie and Ndenderu areas.

On the other hand, the UDA team led by Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua, Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichungwa, Muranga Senator Irungu Kangata and Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro mounted formidable campaigns.

Quick facts on the Kiambaa by-election

There are 95,413 registered voters and 154 polling station

Candidates

1. Njama Wainaina Kariri-Jubilee Party (JP)

2. Wanjiku John Njuguna- United Democratic Alliance (UDA)

3. Gichia Evans S. Wainaina-People’s Party of Kenya (PPK)

4. Kamau Willie Mbugua-IND

5. Muchugi Isaac Karomo- Federal Party of Kenya (FPK)

6. Munyinyi David Mugo-IND

7. Muthaka Lucy Wanjiru- Party of National Unity (PNU)

8. Ngugi Richard Njoroge- The New Democrats (TND)

Quick facts on the Muguga Ward by-election

There are 18,367 registered voters and 29 polling stations

Candidates

1. Mugo Peter Njoroge- Peoples Party of Kenya (PPK)

2. Mumbi Moses Gichau- Thirdway Alliance Kenya (TAK)

3. Mung’ara Joseph Githinji- Jubilee Party (JP)

4. Thumbi Peter Kamau- United Democratic Alliance (UDA)