Claims of voter bribery and incidents of missing voter details in the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) register have marred the ongoing by-elections in Magarini Constituency, Kilifi County, as the public also exercised extra vigilance.
At the Kanagoni polling centre, Kilifi South Member of Parliament Ken Chonga was ejected by a crowd, accusing him of being an unauthorised agent. Supporters of Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) candidate Stanley Kenga questioned why the MP, an agent for ODM candidate Harrison Kombe, was roaming the compound and suspected that he was on an ill-intended mission.
“We are vigilant, we are happy he has left, we have been following him and he has been doing this in many polling centres,” said Juma Mwaguzo, one of the residents.
Mr Chonga defended himself, saying he has a right to visit any polling centre as an ODM super agent.
“I have an IEBC accreditation, I have a right to be at any polling station,” said Mr Chonga.
He left the polling centre after a brief heated argument with the crowd. Mr Kenga arrived there later to cast his vote and expressed satisfaction with how the IEBC was conducting the exercise.
At Mtoroni polling centre, two people were also chased away by the youth after they were found with bundles of money. Police had to intervene to rescue the two, who later escaped in a vehicle that was parked outside the polling centre.
Mr Chonga defended himself, saying he has a right to visit any polling centre as an ODM super agent.
“I have an IEBC accreditation, I have a right to be at any polling station,” said Mr Chonga.
He left the polling centre after a brief heated argument with the crowd. Mr Kenga arrived there later to cast his vote and expressed satisfaction with how the IEBC was conducting the exercise.
At Mtoroni polling centre, two people were also chased away by the youth after they were found with bundles of money. Police had to intervene to rescue the two, who later escaped in a vehicle that was parked outside the polling centre.
“I wonder why my agents have been barred from entering the polling station. I want them to be in the room, I wonder how ODM can place an agent whom I don’t know,” said Mr Kombe.
Speaker of the Senate Amason Kingi, who voted at Kamale Primary School polling centre in Adu Ward, urged IEBC to be vigilant. This is after his team intercepted a civilian vehicle with an election document, and the occupant, claiming he was on his way to make a photocopy.
“We stopped the vehicle and found a civilian with an IEBC document and in the vehicle there was a police top coat and cap. We have handed the matter to the police who are investigating the matter,” said Mr Kingi.
At the Mjanaheri polling centre, some voters complained that they were turned away by IEBC officials because their details were not found in the Kenya Integrated Elections Management System (KIEMS) kit. This is the electronic device used by the IEBC for voter identification, registration verification, and electronic transmission of results.
An agent in one of the streams told the Nation that by 9 am, about 10 people had not voted because their details were missing. Voters had started streaming in as early as 6am and those facing this challenge were informed that they were supposed to go to other centres.
Some were found to have been registered to vote at Mapimo Youth Polytechnic and Kagombani polling centres. However, even after being referred elsewhere, their details could not be found and they were asked to return to Mjanaheri.
Ms Agnes Katana, a voter whose residence is adjacent to Mjanaheri, was informed that her details showed she was to vote at Mapimo Youth Polytechnic.
“I gave my Identification Card for verification but my details indicated that I am supposed to vote at Mapimo Polytechnic. I’m confused because I have been voting at Mjanaheri for all the election years,” she said, and asked IEBC to address the confusion.
Another woman who sought anonymity said her registration details indicated that she was a voter at Kagombani. However, after going there, the clerks informed her that she was supposed to vote at Mjanaheri, leaving her more confused.
“I was on a mission to vote and I came here very early. I even left my sick husband at home and now I don’t know what to say. I want to know if I will vote and if it is impossible I should also be told,” she said.
At the by-election in Chewani Ward, Tana River County, observers from Amnesty International Kenya raised concern over alleged voter bribery and intimidation.
Speaking in Hola, the organisation’s representative David Gafo said their observers had documented incidents where aspirants had stationed their agents at strategic entry points since early morning, allegedly offering money to voters.
He said the presence of these agents was causing discomfort among voters and potentially influencing their choices. Mr Gafo further noted that some aspirants had deployed agents inside polling stations, allegedly to startle or intimidate voters as they prepared to cast their ballots.
“We have seen teams positioned in the vicinity and inside some polling stations. This is not only unlawful, but it interferes with the privacy and confidence of voters. We have raised the matter with the Returning Officer and urged him to take immediate action. With the help of security officers, these individuals should be dispersed from the polling station areas,” he said.
The by-election has so far recorded low voter turnout across its 36 polling stations. By 10:40 am, only 449 voters had cast their ballots at Hola Primary School, the largest polling centre with 2,322 registered voters. At Rafiki Primary School, which has 1,021 registered voters, only 178 people had turned out to vote by the same time.
County Returning Officer Yonah Ogallo expressed concern over the slow pace of voter participation, noting that most polling stations had recorded less than 30 percent turnout by mid-morning.
“We are hoping the numbers will improve as the day progresses, but so far the turnout is much lower than anticipated,” Mr Ogallo said.
Reporting by Anthony Kitimo, Maureen Ongala and Stephen Oduor
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