Doyo rejects Isiolo election results

Former Isiolo Governor Godana Doyo, incumbent Woman Rep Rehema Jaldesa and Senate hopeful Nuh Mohammed Ibrahim have rejected the election results that are about to be announced, citing irregularities.

The results for 10 MCA seats, the governor, senator, woman rep, and the Isiolo North and Isiolo South MP seats had not been announced by 2pm on Thursday.

Addressing journalists in Isiolo town, the leaders, who ran as independents, cited voter intimidation, bribery and a biased process in their strongholds.

Saying they will challenge the outcome in court, Mr Doyo accused the Jubilee Party of using government machinery to intimidate voters in their strongholds and promoting high voter turnout in areas under their opponents’ grip.

“Our Jubilee opponents used government machinery to interfere with the elections. We had cases of public servants bribing voters in broad daylight and mass deployment of police officers to our strongholds to intimidate our supporters,” he said, adding that they had enough and compelling evidence to table in court.

Ms Jaldesa and Mr Nuh said that while the law requires that voters in the queue by 5pm be allowed to exercise their civic right, many in far-flung Garbatulla and Merti were locked out.

The outspoken woman rep claimed the majority of the polling stations in their strongholds, such as Kinna, Sericho, Chari and Cherab, opened late but did not allow voters extra time to cast their ballots.

“A majority of the polling stations in Ngaremara, a stronghold for our opponents, allowed voting until late in the night while those that opened late in Merti closed at 5pm, locking out many of our supporters,” she said.

The leaders also claimed that some voters at polling stations in Isiolo Central were provided extra ballot papers and that some polling officials delayed vote counting and asked for time to rest in an alleged scheme to rig the outcome.

“We will reject the expected results in totality. We will seek redress within the law. Let us meet in court,” Mr Nuh maintained.
Provisional results from 118 of the 158 polling stations in Isiolo North constituency that had been collated by noon showed that Jubilee governor candidate Abdi Ibrahim Hassan Guyo was leading with 14,730 votes, trailed by Mr Doyo with 10,442 votes.

Senator Fatuma Dullo (Jubilee) was also leading in the constituency with 21,087 votes, followed by Mr Nuh with 16,922 votes and Kanu’s Hussein Roba, 2,000. 

Tension was high, especially in Isiolo town, over delayed completion of vote counting.

Contacted for comment, County IEBC Returning officer Samuel Seki dismissed as baseless the allegations that voting in areas that opened late was not extended to compensate for lost time and said the time was extended

“I cannot comment on the results, as I have not received any,” Mr Seki said, adding that the IEBC had not received any written or official complaint from the candidates.

County Commissioner Geoffrey Omoding said more police officers were deployed to ensure peaceful elections following reports that some goons were planning to disrupt voting in some areas.

On reports that a chief was arrested and released over voter bribery, Mr Omoding said they had not received such complaints and that a few that were reported were promptly resolved.

He cited a case where a polling clerk refused to allow some voters to cast their ballot past 5pm though they had been in the queue, saying the voters were allowed to vote.