Chaos mars Shella by-election, voters demand removal of ex-MCA
Police intervene as voters demand the removal of former Shella MCA Azhar Ali Mbarak from Shella Primary School polling centre during the Shella Ward by-election in Lamu County on January 5, 2023.
Chaos briefly marred the Shella Ward by-election in Lamu County on Thursday after voters at Shella Primary School demanded the removal of ex-MCA Azhar Ali Mbarak from the polling centre.
Police intervened and dispersed the crowd. The seat fell vacant after Mr Mbarak contested and won the Lamu County Assembly Speaker position.
Irate voters shouted asking that the official be moved out of polling stations where he was seen visiting.
“Why is the Speaker moving around this polling station? He might influence something now that he is a leader in power. He can direct something that we don’t want. We feel his presence won’t make this election to be free and fair. We want him out of the polling station,” said Ali Mohamed, a voter.
Mr Abdallah Yusuf termed the Speaker’s partaking in politics as unconstitutional.
“I don’t think it’s constitutional for the Speaker to partake in politics. He is inside the polling station as who? We don’t have faith in him and should be removed or else, the exercise won’t end well,” said Mr Yusuf.
A clerk applies ink on a voter's finger after voting in the Shella Ward MCA by-election in Lamu County on January 5, 2023.
But Mr Mbarak said he was in the polling stations by virtue of being the ODM Chief Agent in the ongoing by-election.
“These are unnecessary complaints and chaos by a few individuals.I am not moved. As the chief agent I have the right to observe how this by-election is being conducted. In addition, I have served as Shella MCA for a long time and so I have the right to be here and observe the exercise. I am not deterred," he said.
He, however, appealed to the Shella voters to maintain peace and advised the youth to desist from being misused by a few individuals to cause chaos.
Those contesting the position are Ms Saamiya Mohamed Abduljabar alias ‘Saamiya British’ of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), Atwa Salim of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), Mohamed Hassan Ali, alias Bablo, of the Amani National Congress (ANC), and Nizar Mohamed of United Green Movement (UGM).
Ms Saamiya of UDA and Mr Hassan of ANC who were also present at the polling stations insisted that they were uncomfortable with the Speaker’s presence.
“I shall personally challenge this election, particularly the speaker’s presence here. We don’t trust him. We want a fair and credible election and that can only happen if people will stop influencing voters,” said Ms Saamiya.
Lamu County Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) manager Maro Ade had to engage Mr Mbarak and the candidates present in talks before normalcy resumed at the polling station which has four streams.
A clerk identifies a voter at Shella Ward Primary polling centre in Lamu County before voting in the Shella Ward by-election on January 5, 2023.
“It’s normal tension and over-expectation for all the sides involved during any elections. There is no big deal. The issue has been sorted. In fact, Mr Mbarak has shown me his credentials and he is the ODM chief agent, so I have nothing to do with his presence at the station. Things are, however, okay at the moment,” said Mr Ade.
Shella Ward has 3,632 registered voters spread across nine polling stations in Shella and Manda islands.
A spot check by the Nation on Thursday showed that most of the polling stations were opened by 6 am as expected.
Voters also turned up early at the various polling centres to vote for their preferred candidates.
Vote counting will be conducted at the Fisheries Hall Tallying Centre later in the day.
