Violence, claims of voter bribery mar ward by-election

The West Kabras Ward by-election in Malava, Kakamega County narrowed down to a fierce contest between UDA and DCP parties, with claims of voter bribery and cases of violence.

At least 12,000 registered voters started to stream into the 27 polling stations across the ward at around 6.30am to elect their new MCA to succeed David Ndakwa, who was elected MP following the death of Malulu Injendi.

There was a high presence of security officers drawn from the General Service Unit and the Administration Police.

Some voters claimed of harassment and dispossession of their identification cards in an attempt to rig the election.

At the Mukongolo polling station, a vehicle belonging to UDA agents destroyed and some people injured.

And at Muyuge station, a stronghold of DCP candidate Bramwel Khaemba, there was a high presence of police officers after a group of youths stormed a shop where some people were allegedly bribing voters.

However, MP Ndakwa and Principal Secretary for Higher Education Beatrice Inyangala accused DCP of disrupting the election. The MP claimed that his vehicle has been vandalised and some his  supporters injured.

"We are confident of winning this election because we did our campaigns and told our people the importance of being in the government," said Ndakwa.

Inyangala alleged that UDA supporters arrested two people associated with DCP for trying to disrupt the polls.

"We conducted our campaigns peacefully and sold our agenda to the people, and we do not doubt in our minds that we are winning this seat."

However, DCP officials blamed the government and UDA members for bribing resident to vote for Elphas Shalakha.

DCP Western coordinator, Seth Bethwel, alleged that UDA officials and agents were caught bribing voters and accused the police of shielding them.

"We have received reports that in almost three polling stations there have been voter bribery, and shockingly police are doing nothing but protecting the law breakers. We have ambushed a few people at Muyuge polling station dishing out money to voters to vote for the UDA candidate," said Bethwel.

And in Isiolo, heavy rains, voter apathy and prevailing drought situation saw few people come out to cast their ballots.

In the vast, remote and sparsely populated Isiolo South Constituency, poor turnout was experienced even at the headquarters in Garba Tula township.

"Many residents have migrated from their villages to other areas in Isiolo County that still have pasture and this has heavily contributed to the low turn out by voters. This was, however, expected," said Abdullahi Jattani of Kulamawe Location.

The constituency has 22,181 registered voters spread across 61 polling stations, with the furthest point being in Gubatu, near Habaswein in Wajir South, about 130km from Garba Tula. [Benard Lusigi and Ali Abdi]

He expected police officers to take action, but to his rude shock, they dispersed their supporters people who have turned up to exercise their democratic.

Caren Atigo, Secretary DCP Western Region, decried voter suppression due to the high presence of police officers in the stronghold of its candidate.

"This is not a war zone where armed police officers are everywhere; we are shocked that we are having almost 50 police officers, including the GSU ones, manning areas which are considered a stronghold for our candidate, and this has led to voter apathy due to fear," said Atigo.

He added: "Shockingly, is that we received allegations of voter bribery, and we proved the claims where people were being given Sh500 to vote for the UDA candidate. Interestingly, when our supporters confronted those accused, we saw reinforcement of police officers who chased away people, even those going to vote, and due to fear, there is no voting going on at Muyuge polling station, and this is the government's strategy to rig this election, and it is against our constitution."

Low turn out, heavy rainfall mars Isiolo South by-election

Isiolo South, like most parts of northern Kenya had started receiving rainfall for the last three days, with the heaviest reported on Wednesday night.

" Roads that were dusty just the other day have become impassable due to the sudden heavy rainfall. Transport was affected as vehicles that could bring voters to trading centre where polling stations are situated stalled on the way," said a polling official who declined to be identified as he was not authorised to speak to the press.

Like in most by-elections, voter apathy also contributed to the low turnout despite efforts by the two parties of United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Jubilee whose candidates are the only combatants in the race ferrying voters to trading centres days before the polls.

" Efforts by parties to ferry supporters from Isiolo town and other centres where nomads had migrated had helped to keep the turnout better. This effort, had however not helped much because it was difficult to trace some voters while others who declined said they did not see the importance of voting," said a party official.

Tubi Mohamed Tubi of UDA voted at Algani polling station, in Kinna trading centre while his elder sibling rival from Jubilee, Bina Mohamed Tubi cast her vote at Kinna Primary School polling centre.

Both had expressed confidence that they would emerge victorious. Election result is expected earliest Friday morning or by midday.