Police recruited as poll officials, claim Nasa officials

The opposition coalition, Nasa, has issued fresh demands to the electoral commission and called for a report on the qualification and work history of officers recruited to oversee the August election.

ODM deputy party leader and Mombasa governor Hassan Joho, Homa Bay Woman Rep Gladys Wanga and Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang' on Sunday claimed IEBC had recruited police officers to act as returning officers in order to help Jubilee rig the election.

“We are getting reports that police officers are being recruited as poll officials to help the Jubilee government rig the election,” said Mr Joho.

Governor Joho’s accusations in Homa Bay came in the wake of criticism against the electoral agency by the Opposition over the audit of the voter register.

SENSING DEFEAT

The leaders also said the Jubilee government was planning to rig the elections after sensing defeat.

The ODM party leadership extended an olive branch to losers in the party primaries in its Nyanza backyard in a bid to seal cracks arising from the chaos witnessed in the April primaries.

The Mombasa county boss pleaded with Nyanza residents to relent from their anger over the botched nominations in the region and back Nasa flagbearer Raila Odinga’s bid for the presidency.

SIX PIECE VOTING PATTERN

Leaders at the youth convention urged the residents to embrace the six-piece voting pattern.

They included Governor Cyprian Awiti and MPs Millie Odhiambo (Suba North), Peter Kaluma (Homa Bay Town), Junet Mohammed (Suna East), nominated MP Oburu Oginga and Mishi Mboko ( Mombasa Woman Rep).

Ms Wanga and Ms Mboko urged Mr Odinga to concentrate in hunting for votes in other parts of the country and not in Nyanza which is his back yard, while Dr Oginga asked nomination losers to drop their ambitions and back the victors.

Mr Joho added that ODM’s popularity in the region should translate into votes for Mr Odinga.

TAKE CARE OF YOUTH

He also pledged to take care of youth’s interests once Mr Odinga ascends to the presidency.

Meanwhile, Machakos Senator Johnson Muthama is set to spearhead Nasa campaigns in Nairobi ahead of the August 8 election.

READ: Raila: There is a plot to rig August polls - VIDEO

Addressing a gathering of the Kamba community at the City Stadium on Sunday, Mr Muthama said his appointment was in an effort to ensure that the community rallies behind Mr Odinga and his running mate Kalonzo Musyoka as well as ensure that Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero and his deputy Jonathan Mueke get a second term, and that henceforth, he would pitch tent in Nairobi until the elections are over.

“I will be leading Nasa Nairobi campaigns and Muthama will be like Moses in the Bible who led the Israelites even without being voted for, and likewise, I will lead Nasa to victory,” he said.

DIVIDE VOTES

The senator said he would rally the support of the Kamba who are one of the majority communities in the city to support the re-election of Dr Kidero.

He claimed Nairobi Senator Mike Sonko was being used by the government to divide the community’s vote and accused the government of only talking about problems facing the region at the tail end of their regime.

Mr Muthama dismissed claims that he had ditched Wiper and assured the cheering crowd that he was in the party to stay and that no amount of negative stories about his supposed rift with Mr Musyoka would make him quit the party that took him many years to build.

Dr Kidero said another term in office would give him time to complete the projects he had initiated, adding that his administration was frustrated for the first three years through court cases and interference from his opponents.