Voting delays as election kits fail in parts of Nyandarua

Voting was affected in various parts of Nyandarua County after electronic identification kits developed problems.

At Gitwe polling station in Kipipiri Constituency, voting was paralysed for nearly two hours after the kits failed.

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Voting was also affected in Ol Joro Orok Constituency after kits malfunctioned.

Returning Officer Simon Muriithi said a number of polling stations were affected while other kits were hanging, slowing down the exercise.

Voting was also delayed for hours at some polling stations in Ndaragwa Constituency, due to BVR kits failure.

Returning Officer Nelson Namu said IEBC officials realised the challenge in good time and had the kits replaced.

Generally, returning officers in the county termed the exercise as smooth and a big success having realized an average of about 40 per cent of total votes cast by 11am.

Kipipiri Returning Officer Festus Ngeera directed IEBC officials to extend voting hours at Gitwe polling station to compensate for the lost time.

HOPE

He said by 11am, total votes cast were 40 percent of the registered voters.

The situation was the same in Kinangop and Ol Kalou constituencies, with a similar percentage of votes cast by 11 am.

Ol Kalou Returning Officer Mauta Gitonga said by 11am, the total votes cast were between 35 to 40 percent of the listed voters.

At Huruma polling station in Ol Kalou, the Presiding Officer, Mr Ndiritu Thuku, was optimistic that all voters will have cast their votes by 4pm.

"The exercise is not as complicated compared to August 8 elections. We are moving faster, that is why the queues appear shorter than in August 8 elections," he said.

KIEMS KITS

At DEB Primary School polling station in Molo, Nakuru County, some voters had to wait for some time after the Kiems kits failed to detect their fingerprints.

Electoral officers asked them to wipe their fingers with water before retrying.

In Kuresoi South, there were a few cases where some voters were turned away after their names were missing in the voter register.

Keringet Secondary School polling station presiding officer Abiud Ng’eno told Nation that two men were sent away because their names were not in the register.

The exercise, however, went on without major hitches, with the numbers slightly improving as the day advanced.

VOTING
Voting in Kuresoi South started on a low key with just a few people turning up to vote at various stations.

Most polling stations were opened by 6am with just a hand full of voters trickling in.

Mr Ng’eno said the number was increasing steadily and expressed confidence that the process will end smoothly.

Area leaders including Deputy Governor Erick Korir, Woman Representative Liza Chelule and MP Joseph Tonui commended the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission for a good job.

UHURU SUPPORTERS
Dr Korir, who cast his vote at Saptet Primary School, hopes that the county will record 100 per cent voter turnout in support of President Uhuru Kenyatta.

“I am happy to see that voters have come out in large numbers to vote for the president, which is a good gesture to prove that the area is a Jubilee zone,” he said.

Ms Chelule on her part urged the residents to maintain peace and called for unity.

Mr Tonui, who cast his vote at Estate Primary School in Keringet town, thanked the residents for turning up.

By midday, a majority of the polling stations had received at least 40 per cent of the registered voters.