Delays, complaints rock jubilee primaries in South Rift

Jubilee Party nominations in Nakuru, Laikipia, Nyandarua and Samburu counties took place amid numerous complaints of missing names and delays in delivery of ballot materials which resulted in a late start of the exercise in some parts of the counties.

While the election went on smoothly in most of the polling stations, voting did not take off at the scheduled time in most polling stations as election officials were still sorting out election materials.

In Nakuru, voting had not kicked off in 14 polling stations in Njoro constituency at 3:30pm due to lack of ballot papers according to the constituency Returning Officer, David Kebenei.

He told Nation the delays were occasioned by missing ballot papers for the governor and woman representative seats.

There was total confusion at Home Craft polling centre- the tallying centre for Njoro constituency after the exercise failed to kick off in the 14 polling stations. Aspirants and their agents failed to agree on alternatives of handling the election.

ARRESTED

The centre which also served as a polling station was affected as well as Njoro Polytechnic, Ndarugu Primary, Paive Secondary, Chesoton Primary, Njoro Day Secondary, Njoro DEB Primary, Ngano Primary and Tengecha primary.

Mr Kebenei said he had requested for support from the party, as voters patiently camped in various polling stations, hoping to pick their choice.

In Laikipia, the exercise started at midday in many polling stations after presiding officers boycotted duty over non-payment.

In Nyandarua, a ward rep aspirant was arrested in Nyahururu Town while printing ballot papers. The Gathanji ward aspirant Mr John Mbao and two cyber attendants was locked at Nyahururu police station.

An aspirant for the Nyandarua governor’s seat Dr Moses Ndirangu Kiare alias Badilisha was shocked to find his name missing in the register at his new polling station at AC Primary School in OlKalou town, forcing him to go to Gacwe Primary School in OlKalou constituency where he had transferred from.

According to Nyandarua North OCPD Timon Odingo, the suspects were arrested in a car parked within the town where they were believed to be marking the papers.

“We received a tip off from members of the public that there were people who had printed election material. On arrival at the scene, we found them marking the papers inside their vehicle,” said Mr Odingo.

The police boss noted that upon interrogations it was discovered that one of the suspects was an aspiring MCA.

“We are currently holding them at the Nyahururu police station and we will arraigned them in court after we are through with investigations,” he added.

In the second incident four people were arrested in Ol Kalou town Nyandarua County while printing ballot papers for gubernatorial aspirants.

They are currently being held at the Ol Kalou police station as police continue with more investigations.

VOTER TURNOUT

In Samburu, there were hitches in Samburu North with cases of shortage and oversupply of ballot papers being reported in various stations.

In some stations, some officers resorted to improvising more ballot papers using plain exercise book papers owing to the shortage against a high voter turnout.

Others affected by the shortage borrowed ballot papers from their neighbouring stations which had an excess.

Residents were voting to pick the Jubilee candidate for the parliamentary seat with a tight race pitying the incumbent Mr Alois Lentoimaga and Ms Mercy Lemaiyana.

Voters whose names were missing from the registers were allowed to vote using party membership cards and their national ID cards and their details recorded in a new register.

CRUCIAL MATERIAL

In some of the stations, both parliamentary aspirants had no agents.

In Nakuru, numerous complaints of missing names in voters’ register lists were reported in Nakuru Town East, Nakuru Town West and Bahati constituencies while in Molo, Kuresoi North, Kuresoi South and Njoro constituencies, there was general delay attributed to late delivery of ballot materials.

At Nakuru West Secondary School polling station in Kaptembwa Ward in Nakuru West constituency, a parliamentary aspirant Mr Charles Maisiba who lost to the incumbent-Mr Samuel Arama in the 2013 elections was shocked to find his name missing in the register.

He said has been voting at the polling station since 2002. After consultations with the Returning Officer, however, he was asked to produce his voter’s card and allowed to cast his vote.

At Menengai Social Hall which is the distribution centre for Nakuru East constituency, the exercise delayed for three hours because ink, seal and rubber stamps were missing.

At Bahati Sub-county hospital polling station, hundreds of youths who had turned up to vote were shocked to learn that their names were missing in the list.

PROTESTS

There were protests in Kiamaina ward in Bahati following cases of missing names in the register. Polling clerks, however, declined to use IDs as instructed by the party recently.

Area MP Onesmus Kimani Ngunjiri, after casting his vote at Bahati sub- county Hospital polling station complained about the situation.

“President Uhuru Kenyatta said that as long as you have an Identification Card you are entitled to vote and this meanS hundreds of potential aspirants will be locked out,” he said.

In Molo, Njoro, Kuresoi North and Kuresoi South constituencies in Nakuru County, there was heavy police presence and a massive voter turnout.

Despite delays in delivery of poll materials to various polling stations in the region, voters turned out in large numbers from as early as 5.30am in some areas.

LONG QUEUES

At Tayari secondary school and Molo secondary polling stations in Molo constituency, Siwot in Kuresoi South, Mau Summit in Kuresoi North and Ndarugu primary school in Njoro, long queues were witnessed as from 8 am when the exercise kicked off in some polling stations.

Nakuru Governor Kinuthia Mbugua and his wife Lucia cast their votes at Tayari primary polling station in Molo constituency at around 10am while Mr Lee Kinyanjui who is challenging him for the seat voted at Crater primary School in Section 58 and said he was satisfied with the process.

Kuresoi South parliamentary aspirant Peter Ketyenya also voted at Siwot primary school polling station in the constituency at around 11.30am while Nakuru Town West parliamentary aspirant Ms Franscisca Kamuren voted at Moi Secondary School polling station

At Tayari secondary school and Molo secondary polling stations in Molo constituency, Siwot in Kuresoi South, Mau Summit in Kuresoi North and Ndarugu primary school in Njoro, long queues were witnessed as from 8am when the exercise kicked off in some polling stations.

CONFRONTATION

At Oldonyo Mara Primary School in Kabazi, Bahati constituency, hundreds of voters temporarily blocked the voting process after only 500 ballot papers were delivered at the station instead of 521.

“We are not going to vote until all the voting materials that are commensurate with the number of the voters are delivered at the polling station,” said an angry voter.

However, a MCA aspirant for Kabazi Mr Peter Mbae intervened and pleaded with the voters to accept the ballot papers that were available.

At Kiamaina, the distribution centre for Bahati constituency, there was a confrontation when some of the agents demanded that the ballot materials be transported using a private vehicle. It was finally agreed that the materials be transported in a public service vehicle.

Laikipia East MP Mutahi Kimaru's agent died in a road accident at Nairutia on the Nyahururu -Nyeri road while distributing badges to other agents.

(Reported by Francis Mureithi, Eric Matara, Steve Njuguna,Joseph Openda, Magdalene Wanja, Reitz Mureithi, Godfrey Oundoh and Uzzler Ochieng)