Gunshots heard in Turkana on eve of Kalokol ward mini-poll
The shores of Lake Turkana in Kalokol, Turkana County. Spontaneous gunshots were heard in Kalokol Tuesday evening as the ward prepared for a by-election scheduled for Wednesday morning. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP.
What you need to know:
- A stray bullet shell fell into the compound of the guesthouse also thought to be hosting several leaders from the county.
- The lodge is also hosting police, top political leaders and county government employees are in the area to monitor the elections.
- A tough battle is expected between Orange Democratic Movement and Jubilee Party who have fielded candidates in a miniature contest that could mimic forthcoming campaigns.
Spontaneous gunshots were heard in Kalokol, Turkana County Tuesday evening as the ward prepared for a by-election scheduled for Wednesday morning.
In what could signal the continual security hazard in this area, journalists staying in a nearby guesthouse heard gunfire on two separate incidents.
It was not clear, though, whether they were actual fights or just a coded signal between security officials.
A stray bullet shell fell into the compound of the guesthouse also thought to be hosting several leaders from the county who had travelled to the town to witness the by-election.
The lodge is also hosting police, top political leaders and county government employees are in the area to monitor the elections. Police reservists accompanying some leaders are armed.
Kalokol is among the four wards scheduled to hold by-elections around the country on Wednesday.
In total, there are four candidates battling for votes from the 4,824 registered voters, according to an official list published by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). They are scattered in 21 polling stations to be manned by 105 electoral officials.
JUBILEE VS ODM
A tough battle is expected between Orange Democratic Movement and Jubilee Party who have fielded candidates in a miniature contest that could mimic forthcoming campaigns.
ODM candidate Josphat Ekeno Emuria is supported by Turkana Governor Josphat Nanok while Jubilee Party’s Simon Ekai Nang’iro Long'esan is supported by all the seven MPs and Senator John Munyes who recently decamped from Ford Kenya to the revamped Jubilee Party.
Other contestants include Peter Emana Lotengan running as an independent candidate and Michael Epem Ebenyo of Ford-Kenya.
While the commission said it had prepared for the by-elections, it said on Wednesday Kalokol’s remoteness may hamper the relay of electronic results.
“The commission expects some delay in transmission of provisional (electronic) results from Kalokol and Mosiro because of the poor or lack of GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) network coverage in those Wards,” said Mr Andrew Limo, the Communications and Public Affairs Manager at IEBC.
Kalokol, on the shores of Lake Turkana is just about 60 kilometres north of Lodwar town, the capital of Turkana County.
But the road network is poor and the climate punctuated with hot weather and punitive wind.
Folks here mainly rely on the lake for their livelihood.
IEBC is also conducting by-elections in Sala, Bura Constituency in Tana River County, Nyancheki in Bobasi Constituency (Kisii County) and Mosiro in Kajiado West Constituency, Kajiado County.
