Voters turn out to elect new Msambweni MP in mini poll

Voting in the Msambweni Constituency by-election in Kwale County started smoothly Tuesday morning with an initial low turnout of voters.

All the polling stations were opened by 6am, Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Returning Officer Yusuf Abubakar confirmed.

By 6.30am voters had started streaming into the polling stations to cast their votes.

Nation found voters washing their hands before accessing their voting streams at Mwakigwena and Jogoo Grounds polling stations.

Before getting into the voting rooms, the voters had their temperatures checked using thermo guns.

However, social distancing was not being observed in many of the polling stations.

Meanwhile, some voters complained that the verification of their names was taking too long. But it turned out that some had queued in the wrong voting streams and had to be directed to where their names were listed.

At the same time, some agents had early in the morning complained that they had not been allowed to get into the voting centres.

However, Mr Abubakar noted that the complaints were as a result of non-compliance to the required regulations.

"We have sorted many of them and now everything is moving smoothly. Some agents had been sent directly to the stations before going through our officials, hence the delay," said the returning officer.

Haki Africa Chief Executive Officer Hussein Khalid, who is an election observer, said that IEBC had prepared well for the by-election.

However, he decried the low turnout of voters in the various polling centres in the constituency.

"In the seven polling centres we have been, we witnessed low turnout though we know by-elections do not attract many voters and this is not a good indication," he said.

Mr Khalid lauded security officers for the good job they are doing to maintain security.

Ms Jennipher Obiga, who escorted her husband to Jogoo polling sataion after casting her vote at Mwakigwena polling centre, said the by-election is important to the residents as they will have a representative and be able to get crucial services.

"Service delivery has stalled since the demise of the late MP Suleiman Dori. Now we will be able to get access to services like bursaries to get our children to school," she said.

She arrived at the polling station at around 5am and by 6.20am she had voted.

"Verifying names has been very swift and the IEBC officials have been very helpful. We hope to have a peaceful election," she said.

However, there was commotion at the Jogoo polling centre following claims of voter bribery.

A woman was roughed up by police officers after she started distributing masks to some voters, disorienting them.