Uasin Gishu leaders explain low turnout in Ruto’s backyard

Uasin Gishu leaders address journalists at Hotel Sirikwa in Eldoret town on October 27, 2017 to explain low voter turnout in the repeat presidential election. PHOTO | JARED NYATAYA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

By  WYCLIFF KIPSANG  &  BRENDA GAMODE

What you need to know:

  • The leaders said they were expecting a turnout of 70 per cent but 60 per cent turned up to vote.
  • The governor thanked residents for maintaining peace during the electioneering period.

Uasin Gishu leaders have defended low voter turnout in the presidential repeat elections in the North Rift region that is Deputy President William Ruto’s backyard.

The county is home to Deputy President William Ruto but recorded low turnout Thursday compared to August 8 elections.

In Turbo constituency where Mr Ruto voted on Thursday, the turnout was 49 per cent with President Uhuru Kenyatta garnering 54, 194 votes. The constituency has 110, 857 registered voters.

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RAIN

On Friday, leaders from Uasin Gishu including Governor Jackson Mandago, Senator Margaret Kamar, MPs William Chepkut (Ainabkoi), Caleb Kositany (Soy), Oscar Sudi (Kapseret), Janet Sitienei (Turbo) and Swarup Mishra (Kesses) said votes garnered by the President in the region was satisfactory.

Prof Kamar said heavy rains that pounded the region on Election Day affected the turnout saying it rendered some roads in the region impassable.

“Many universities and colleges have also closed, which also affected the turnout. Uasin Gishu is also a cosmopolitan in nature and it has both Nasa and Jubilee supporters,” said Prof Kamar.

Mr Mandago said many residents were also disillusioned to go back to the polls after the Supreme Court nullified the presidential election “yet they had already made up their choice on August 8.”

VIOLENCE

The governor thanked residents for maintaining peace during the electioneering period despite being mapped as one of violence hotspots.

“We've shown that we are a mature democracy. Our people have gone back to their daily activities. The rest of Kenya should borrow a leaf from Uasin-Gishu,” said Mr Mandago who spearheaded Jubilee Party campaigns in the region.

National Super Alliance has maintained that the low voter turnout was a result of many of their supporters shunning the repeat election.

But Mr Mandago told off the opposition whom he claimed are engaging in economic sabotage through demonstrations staged by their supporters.

The leaders said they were expecting a turnout of 70 per cent but 60 per cent turned up to vote.

Voter turnout in Kesses Constituency was 55 per cent, Moiben (55 per cent), Ainabkoi (57 per cent), Soy (60 per cent), Kapseret (54per cent) while Turbo had a turnout 49 per cent translating to an average of 60 per cent.

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