Migori senatorial by-election: What you need to know

Police officers shield a man (pictured on the other side of the fence) from angry residents who attacked him claiming he was bribing voters at the Anindo polling station in Awendo on October 8, 2018. Police said the man was a plain-clothes officer. PHOTO | BENSON MOMANYI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Migori has been notorious for violence during campaigns and elections.

Low voter turnout and delays caused by failure of voter identification gadgets have marked the ongoing Migori senatorial by-election.

Voters continue to slowly trickled into the polling stations across the county.

But election officials said they have been managing the challenges with electoral commissioner Abdi Guliye warning it is too early to quantify the turnout. 

"You can only make accurate judgements of turn out from 3pm," Mr Guliye said, angered by reports indicating voter apathy. 

KURIA REGION

At Kehancha Primary School polling station, 50 voters had cast their ballots by 10am. The station has 1,750 registered voters. 

At Igena Primary School which is also in Kehancha, Kuria West, a paltry 36 out of 2,400 registered voters had cast their votes by 10am. 

Independent Electoral and Boundaries Officials attributed the low voter turnout to it being a work day.

"May be it is because it is a work day. Scores of people may have gone to their farms as it is planting season while others may have reported to their work places. Very few voters are coming," said Mr Zachary Boke, a deputy presiding officer at Igena Primary School.

The official, however, exuded confidence that many voters will turn up as the day progresses.

The situation is the same in Kuria East. At Kegonga Primary School polling station, IEBC officials told Nation that few voters come in at intervals of close to an hour. 

"One voter comes and it takes close to an hour before the next comes. We have little to do," a clerk at Kegonga.

Mr Jared Otieno, the presiding officer at Kowiti Primary School in Suna East Constituency has expressed disappointment over the low voter turnout, but said everything thing else is okay.

ODM candidate Ochillo Ayacko cast his vote some minutes to 10am at St Mark's Tom Mboya Secondary School in Awendo. 

He said voting has been going on well despite the delay caused by failure of the identification kits.

Mr Peter Jobando, the Green Congress of Kenya candidate, cast his vote at Kowiti Primary School. He asked voters to turn out in large numbers and vote.

'VOTER-BRIBERY'

The Federal Party of Kenya candidate, Mr Eddy Oketch, alleged electoral malpractices in the polls soon after casting his ballot at Migori Primary School. 

Mr Oketch claimed ODM party leaders from outside the county were bribing voters in order to vote for Mr Ayacko.

"They have brought a lot of confusion in this exercise through bribery and intimidation. I ask IEBC to take action," Mr Oketch told the media soon after casting his vote at the Migori Primary School.

At Anindo polling station in Awendo, police officers had to shield a man they claimed was a plain-clothed police officer after angry residents attacked him, saying he was bribing voters. 

The Migori senatorial by-election will see six candidates square it out in the ballot.

Each of the 826 polling stations in the county is being manned by at least two police officers.

Migori has been notorious for violence during campaigns and elections.

IN SUMMARY

The Migori Senate race is seen as a two-horse race between Mr Ayacko and Mr Oketch.

Other candidates cleared for the seat are Mr Jobando, Solomon Hodo Rugaria (People's Democratic Party), Samwel Otieno (independent) and Dickson Ogolla (independent).

But Mr Rugaria withdrew from the contest to back Mr Ayacko.

The seat fell vacant following the death of Mr Ben Oluoch Okello, who succumbed to throat cancer.

Migori County has about 388,000 registered voters.

This is the first time Migori voters are heading to polls unhindered since the August 2017 elections.

Reports by Vivere Nandiemo, Elisha Otieno and Ruth Mbula.