LIVETEXT - Malindi and Kericho by-elections

12:34am: ODM's William Mtengo wins Malindi by-election with 15,582 votes while Jubilee's Philip Charo lands second place with 9,243 votes. Other contenders were Labour Party of Kenya’s Attas Shariff Ali with 1,547 votes; Kadu-Asili’s Reuben Katana (353); Social Party of Kenya’s David Kithunga (68); Nelson Gunga Benjamin of Federal Party of Kenya (35); and Chama Cha Uzalendo's Peter Ponda (26).

10:45pm: With 601 out of 623 polls reporting, Aaron Cheruiyot is leading in 24 wards in Kericho county while Paul Sang is leading in seven, six of which are in Bureti constituency.

10:40pm: In Belgut constituency, Paul Sang is just leading in Chaik ward with 51 per cent of the votes.

10:36pm: In Bureti constituency, which is dominated by Kanu's Paul Sang, Aaron Cheruiyot of Jubilee is leading in Kapkatek ward with 57 per cent of the votes.

10:31pm: ODM party supporters are celebrating now that its candidate William Mtengo is undeniably in the lead with 13514 votes while Philip Charo of Jubilee has 8377, as per reports from 89 polling stations.

10:21pm: Meanwhile in Malindi, ODM's William Mtengo is leading with 13162 votes while Jubilee's Philip Charo trails with 8210 votes in 87 polling stations out of 100.

10:13pm: In Kericho, Aaron Cheruiyot of Jubilee has widened the gap with 103633 votes as Kanu's Paul Sang records 53620 in 592 polling stations out of 623.

10:02pm: 83 polls out of 100 report William Mtengo of ODM leads with 12577 votes while Philip Charo of Jubilee has 7679.

9:38pm: In Kericho, Aaron Cheruiyot of Jubilee appears to have won the race for Senate with 101,349 of the vote and 93 per cent of all polls reporting. Paul Sang has 52,704 votes. Celebrations have broken out in Kericho town.

9:31pm: 73 polls reporting William Mtengo has 10677 while Philip Charo of JAP has 6706.

9:19pm: With 62 per cent of all polls reporting, William Mtengo of ODM has 8845 votes while Philip Charo of Jubilee has 5591.

9:16pm: The names of two candidates, who withdrew from the Malindi by-elections, Peter Ponda of Chama Cha Uzalendo and Nelson Gunga of the Federal Party of Kenya, are still on the ballot, with a total of 38 votes so far.

9:12pm: 568 poll stations still have JAP's Aaron Cheruiyot in the lead with 98579 votes while Kanu's Paul Sang trails with 51509 votes.

9:02pm: In Kericho, Aaron Cheruiyot of JAP is ahead with 96,552 votes while Kanu's Paul Sang has 50,530 votes, in 559 out of 623 polls reporting.

8:58pm: ODM's William Mtengo still leads with 7934 votes while Jubilee's Philip Charo has 4961 votes, with 54 polls out of 100 reporting.

8:49pm: With 549 of 623 polls remaining, Aaron Cheruiyot of Jubilee is leading with 94,475 votes while Paul Sang of Kanu has 49,550.

8:37pm: According to Coast Regional Editor Njeri Rugene, the counting in Malindi has been very slow because both sides are arguing over the results. With 42 polls out of 100 reporting ODM's William Mtengo leads with 6082 votes, while Philip Charo of Jubilee has 3489 votes.

8:18pm: With 33 per cent of all polls reporting, William Mtengo has 4858 votes while Philip Charo has 2505 votes. The gap looks to be growing slowly, but growing nevertheless.

8:17pm: With 503 polls reporting, the gap is getting ever bigger. Aaron Cheruiyot has 85,169 votes while Paul Sang has 45,028 votes.

8:10: With 30 polls reporting, William Mtengo of ODM has 4422 votes while Philip Charo of Jubilee has 2220 votes.

8:01pm: In Malindi the votes continue to trickle in, amidst tight security. General Service Unit, Administration Police and Prisons officers from Shimo la Tewa Prison have been deployed in the constituency. With 24 out of 100 polling stations reporting, William Mtengo of ODM is leading with 3497 votes, while Philip Charo has 1569 votes.

7:50pm: In Malindi, with 21 out of 100 polling stations reporting, William Mtengo leads with 3,105 votes while Philip Charo has 1,310 votes.

7: 37pm: With 412 of 623 polls (66 per cent) reporting in Kericho, Aaron Cheruiyot of Jubilee is leading with 67,600 votes to 35,998 for Paul Sang.

7:29: The results in Malindi Constituency are coming in slower than in Kericho. Only 13 polls have reported out of 100, compared to 384 out of 623 in Kericho County.

7:20pm: With 331 of 623 polls (53 per cent ) reporting in Kericho, Aaron Cheruiyot of the Jubilee Alliance Party is leading the Senate race with 52,157 votes, while Paul Sang of Kanu has 28,466 votes, a gap of 23691 votes.

7:01pm: With 251 polls reporting , Aaron Cheruiyot has38,027 votes to Paul Sang's 20,858, meaning he is 17,169 votes ahead. It is looking difficult for Mr Sang to close in on the leader.

6:49pm: It's still early in Malindi. With seven polls out of 100 reporting, William Mtengo of ODM has 1025 votes, while Philip Charo of Jubilee has 354 votes. Mtengo is currently leading in all wards.

6:40pm: Paul Sang is leading in Bureti constituency, where he is a former MP, with 58 per cent of the vote. However in Mr Cheruiyot is leading in Belgut, Ainamoi, Sigowet/Soin, Kipkelion East and Kipkelion West.

6: 37pm:With 115 of 623 polls which is almost a fifth of all polls, Aaron Cheruiyot has 16171 votes while Paul Sang has 8661 votes, a gap of 7510 votes.

6:33pm: Only two polling stations are reporting so far in Malindi. William Mtengo has 176 votes, while Philip Charo has 48 votes.

6:27pm: Results in Malindi have begun to trickle through. In the Kericho Senate race, with 100 polls reporting, the gap between Aaron Cheruiyot and Paul Sang has widened to 6294 votes.

6:17pm: With 58 out of 623 polls reporting, Aaron Cheruiyot is leading in Kericho with 6823 votes, while Paul Sang is second with 4429 votes.

6:01pm: The other candidates in the Kericho Senate race are Daniel Kipkorir Tonui (National Vision Party), David Kipkoech Mutai (New Democrats), Paul Kipyegon Sigei (United Democratic Movement) and Wycliffe Kipkemoi Ngenoh (Maendeleo Democratic Party).

5:54pm: Vote tallying has started in Kericho. A spot check by Nation in a number of polling stations shows that it is a two-horse race between Kanu's Paul Sang and Jubilee's Aaron Cheruiyot.

5:31pm: The ODM Chief Whip, Mr Thomas Mwangedu, has applauded the peaceful elections in Malindi. "I hope the residents will be united even after the results," he says.

5:30pm: With vote counting imminent in both counties, some more information is coming through. Sir Ali bin Salim Primary School closed at 5pm without a hitch and there was no queue, according to sources at the scene. According to Ms Amina Soud, IEBC North Coast coordinator, the voter turnout in Malindi was impressive, with 40 per cent of the 55,853 registered voters having cast their ballots by 11 am.

5:13pm: Polls in Malindi Constituency are closing. However, there were still long queues by 5pm, particularly in the polling stations in Malindi's central business district, such as Central, Uhuru Gardens and Sir Ali.

5:05pm: The polls have closed in Kericho County and tallying of votes is set to start shortly. Counting will be done at the respective polling stations, then transmitted to constituency tallying centres and eventually transmitted to county tallying centres. Kericho county has 623 polling stations.

4:39pm : Mr Sang, the Senate Kanu candidate for Kericho, allied with Gideon Moi when the grand old party split into factions after the defeat in 2002.. You can find an informative article with some history here.

4:24pm: Coast Regional Commissioner Nelson Marwa has called for a press conference in Malindi.

4:15pm: Here is a small bio about one of the candidates in the Kericho by-election: Mr Aaron Cheruiyot is the Director of Africana Savanna Tours and Travel, and prior to that he was a sales executive at Radio Africa Group. He was active in student politics at Moi University, where he led a protest that forced the university management to open up the Moi University-Eldoret Town route to minibuses.

4:11pm: Mr Sang, the Kanu candidate says that in Belgut Constituency his agents were turned away from Sosiot social hall, Cheboror Tea Buying Centre, Keben, Kaborok, Teldet, Chepkoin and Cheymen social hall. Energy CS Mr Charles Keter, who is the former Kericho senator, has claimed votes were being bought by the opposing side. The Jubilee candidate Aaron Cheruiyot said the process had been smooth.

4:00pm: Mr Paul Sang, the Kanu candidate for the Kericho Senate seat, has complained that his agents were locked out of several polling stations. He spoke to the press at Kamanamsin Primary School, where he cast his vote early this morning. "We are demanding that they allow Kericho residents to make a fair choice free of any interference, but my big worry is government interference," he said.

3:32pm: A truck full of General Service Unit officers has arrived at Barani Secondary School, where the tallying centre is situated. The disturbances involving politicians and activists have not disrupted voting, which has proceeded smoothly.

3:03pm: Malindi OCPD Matawa Muchangi confirms that former Mwea MP Peter Gitau was beaten by a crowd that accused him of bribing voters near Kakuyuni polling station. The MP was rescued and arrested by police on patrol.

2:37pm: Jubilee candidate Philip Charo addresses the press after casting his vote at Maziwani Primary School polling station. He asked for calmness adding that he will be ready to accept the outcome of the by-election.

2:07pm: Malindi residents continue streaming in at various polling stations.

2:05pm: A number of incidents have happened in Malindi over the course of the day. In Malindi, ODM Communications Director Mr Philip Etale was arrested in his hotel room at 1am and his laptop confiscated. ODM spokesman Dennis Onyango said on his Facebook page that police also confiscated his phone.

2:00pm: Good afternoon, and welcome to Nation.co.ke’s comprehensive coverage of the by-elections in Malindi and Kericho.  These two races, which are shaping up to be tightly contested, are being held to fill positions that fell vacant after President Uhuru Kenyatta appointed their previous holders to the Cabinet.

In Malindi,  the by-election is being held to fill the National Assembly seat previously occupied by Dan Kazungu, who is now the Cabinet Secretary for Mining. ODM’s William Mtengo faces Mr Philip Charo of the Jubilee Alliance Party (JAP). Both national as well as county officials from Cord, which sponsored Mr Kazungu to Parliament, have been a strong presence in Malindi throughout the campaign.

The Kericho by-election is being held to fill the Senate seat vacated by Charles Keter after he was appointed the Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Petroleum. It has emerged as a battle between the Jubilee Alliance Party and a newly resurgent Kanu. Jubilee’s Aaron Cheruiyot is up against Paul Sang of Kanu, who is a former Health Minister and one-time MP for Bureti. Kanu’s chairman is Baringo Senator Gideon Moi, the son of Kenya’s second President. Political watchers see the by-election as a litmus rest of the Deputy President’s continued influence in the Rift Valley.