Slow start to party primaries

Political party nominations failed to kick off early Thursday due to delay in delivery of voting materials in most parts of the country.

The National Alliance (TNA) nominations were delayed in most parts of Nakuru, Laikipia and Nyandarua counties as scheduled at 6am over what party officials said was delay in delivering election materials.

People had started trickling into the polling stations as early as 5 am and by 8 am some went back home after waiting for the arrival of the election materials in vain.

“We were told that the vehicle, which was transporting the election materials had left Nairobi early but we cannot trace it,” Nakuru TNA coordinator Joseph Omondi said.

In Nyeri County, The National Alliance (TNA) coordinator Stephen Wachira said the primaries were yet to begin as materials had not been dispatched to polling stations around the county.

Voters were, however, waiting patiently in line to cast their ballots.

The same situation obtained in Kiambu County.

In Nairobi, TNA supporters at Mararui Primary school in Roysambu were angered at the delay. Some were at the station as early as 4am hoping to get an early chance to choose their preferred candidate before reporting to their places of work.

No party official had reported to the station when Nation arrived at 8am.

A teacher at the school who was asked to open the hall and rooms where the activity was to take place said she reported by 5 am as had been instructed.

Peter Karanga said over 200 people had  come early in the morning and left disappointed.

"There is no one, there are no material and no communication to tell us what is happening. Some of us came early so that we could vote before going to work," he said.

Equally disappointed was Lilian Gakii who said the party was failing its supporters. She was worried that many would be denied a chance to choose their favourite candidate since it has been indicated that the station would close by 3pm.

"They are letting us down, they are showing us that they are incapable of conducting this exercise," she said.

In Uasin Gishu County, there was a mix up ballot papers with Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) ballots from Nyanza region being received in some polling stations.

Also, the names of certain aspirants including that of Simon Lilan, who is running for Senate on an ODM ticket were missing.

In Baringo, United Republican Party (URP) voting materials were due to arrive in the next hour.

In Tinderet, Nandi County, a parliamentary aspirant, Julius Melly of URP urged supporters to ignore a SMS text saying he had withdrawn from the race. He said the message that was circulating among voters in the constituency was the work of his opponents.

There was chaos in Homa Bay town as ballot papers already marked in favour of one candidate were recovered. A heavy contingent of GSU was deployed to maintain order.