ODM wins Kajiado Central seat, beating JAP in tough contest

The ODM candidate in the Kajiado Central by-election was Monday night declared winner of the tightly contested poll.

Elijah Memusi of ODM garnered 16,008 votes to trounce the Jubilee Alliance Party’s (JAP) Patrick Tutui, who came second with 15,508 votes. An independent candidate, Mr Kuntai Nkashuma, was a distant third with 100 votes.

The by-election recorded a voter turnout of 80 per cent.

The electoral commission had delayed releasing the results from two polling stations, sparking tension at the constituency tallying centre.

Later, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) released results from one polling station at about 10.15pm and the final results at about 10.38pm.

BRIBERY CLAIMS

Earlier in the day, three people were arrested when they were found carrying bundles of cash believed to have been meant to bribe voters who went to the polls yesterday to elect the next Kajiado Central MP.

One man was found with what looked like a Kenya Police service job card, but police said it was fake.

Kajiado OCPD Samuel Kumuut told the Nation the three were arrested after they were found outside polling centres with the bundles of cash.

One of the suspects had bundles of Sh100 notes outside the Saina polling centre in Kajiado town. The other two were arrested after police saw them gathering people allegedly to pay them near the Aliguta polling station.

ODM agents had earlier claimed that some people were waylaying voters and paying them to cast their ballots in favour of JAP's candidate.

The seat attracted three candidates: ODM’s Elijah Memusi, JAP’s Patrick Tutui and Mr Kuntai Nkashuma, an independent candidate.

The three were seeking to replace Mr Joseph Nkaissery, who resigned in December after President Uhuru Kenyatta appointed him the Cabinet secretary for Interior and Co-ordination of the National Government. Before his appointment, Mr Nkaissery was an ODM Member of Parliament.

HIGH TURN-OUT

Kajiado Central has 35,545 registered voters from an estimated population of 102,000. Voter turn-out was high in many of the polling stations.

Besides the allegations of voter bribery, ODM officials also protested at the slow pace of the electronic identification gadgets which they said were discouraging voters. The party’s Secretary for Political Affairs, Mr Opiyo Wandayi, said the gadgets had caused long queues at the Engabodi Primary School polling centre.

“We are calling on the IEBC to come in strongly to address these matters especially in polling stations where voting is too slow,” he told reporters. “In some other cases, we are also informed that voters are being turned away on account of their names missing. The Commission has assured us they have addressed the issue although we have not been told how.”

IEBC was using electronic voter identification devices to determine the identity of voters. The devices are meant to ensure that only voters whose names, identification details and finger prints correspond to the ones in the commission’s records.

This is meant to ensure that only genuine voters cast their ballots. Mr Stephen Ng’eno, the director in charge of IT systems at IEBC, had told reporters on Sunday that the commission’s systems for identification and results transmission had been secured to ensure the by-elections goes on without a hitch.

HITCHES DEALT WITH

It was smooth, for most parts. But problems were experienced in some areas. Yesterday afternoon, IEBC Director of Communications Tabitha Mutemi told the Nation hitches had been dealt with .“That issue has been addressed and we do not expect any further problems. It had affected a few voters, about 200 or so. We have addressed it,” she said.

With low literacy levels in the area, polling clerks could be seen assisting those who could not read or write as well as the elderly. “It is tough having to help almost everybody. We are glad many have come out to vote but most of them know little about how to vote,” a clerk at Ngaroni polling station said.

Polling stations opened at 6am and had closed by 5pm before counting of votes started. However, IEBC did not turn away those who had already queued by 5pm.

There were long queues in most polling centres long before 6am with reports later in the day indicating that voter turn out could be above 80 per cent. In the 2013 General Election, 92 per cent of voters turned up to cast their ballots. Mr Nkaissery won by more than half of the cast votes, defeating both Mr Tutui and Mr Memusi.

Yesterday, Mr Nkaissery voted at the Ilbissil Boarding Primary School polling station where he urged other voters to remain calm. Mr Nkashuma had cast his vote near Maili Tisa. “I am a democrat. I have lost before and therefore I have no problem about accepting defeat. I won the nomination, I won the court case and I believe we will win this one,” Mr Tutui said.

Mr Memusi appeared to disagree with some of the concerns raised by ODM, instead supporting IEBC for staying within their ability.

“So far so good,” he said. “The turnout in some areas is low but in most parts especially towns, the turnout is quite good. The exercise is going on very well and I am expecting that we will carry the day.”