IIEC summons Juja candidates over rigging claims

The Interim Independent Electoral Commission has summoned ten candidates vying for the Juja parliamentary seat over claims that the poll has been “rigged in advance".

Constituency elections coordinator Bernard Kimani, who is also the returning officer for the September 20 by-election, said the IIEC will meet the aspirants at Gretsa University on Wednesday.

He dismissed the rigging allegations as unfounded and aimed at discrediting the commission.

“We want to tell the candidates to engage in fair campaigns and avoid making disparaging claims,” he said.

Mr Kimani said the IIEC was treating all the candidates equally and denied that any of them was being favoured.

Those in the race include: former area MP George Thuo (PNU), William Kabogo (Narc Kenya), Stephen Ndicho (Agano Party), Jackson Ngoima (NAP-K), Alice Wambui (KNC) and Dick Githaiga (ODM).

Others are: Francis Gaitho (Safina), Mary Kirika (ODM Kenya), Charles N Muchai (DP) and David Kigwe (Farmers Party).

At the same, the returning officer said 1,864 polling officials have been recruited in readiness for the by-election. They include 1,264 polling and tallying clerks and 600 presiding and deputy presiding officers.

The aspirants have been engaging in door-to-door campaigns in an effort to woo the 189,000 voters in the vast constituency.

Some of them confided that the campaign style was meant to avoid the heckling that often characterizes public rallies in the area.

The seat fell vacant when Mr Kabogo successfully filed a petition challenging Mr Thuo’s election.