Three die in Mandera accident on their way home to vote
The vehicle which overturned while transporting voters in Mandera on August 7, 2022. Three people died and several others were injured in the crash.
Three people died and several others were injured in a road accident as they travelled back home to vote in Tuesday’s General Election in Mandera County.
Police said the crash involved only one vehicle.
The three were in a group being transported to Banisa constituency, local authorities said.
“There was an accident yesterday (Sunday) at about 3pm. Three people died after a Toyota Land Cruiser they were travelling in rolled several times along the Takaba-Banisa road,” said Mandera West Deputy County Commissioner Wycliffe Mnanda.
Politicians in Mandera started transporting their supporters to different voting areas after the end of the official campaign period.
“After campaigns, politicians are making sure their supporters have been transported to their respective polling centres and people are being transported from as far away as Mombasa, Nakuru and Nairobi to come and vote in Mandera,” said Mr Ali Bilow, a resident of Mandera.
Sh25,000 for one-way air ticket
Travel agencies are charging Sh25,000 for one-way air tickets from Nairobi to Mandera, up from the usual Sh13,000.
“Most people are coming to Mandera and very few are going out. We have to pay the flight company because we only charter their planes. All the costs are now on those politicians interested in being elected,” a travel agent told Nation.Africa in confidence.
Meanwhile, the Independent Elections and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is to drop off election materials in at least 10 polling centres by air due insecurity.
Mandera County Elections Manager Adan Harar said most of the affected polling centres are in Lafey and Mandera South constituencies.
“We will be airlifting a number of poll officials and materials to specific polling centres in the constituencies of Lafey and Mandera South for at least 10 stations and this number is likely to go up as we continue to assess the security situation,” Mr Harar said.
Insecurity
Poll officials said the polling centres cannot be accessed by road due insecurity posed terror group.
“We are in touch with the county security team and an elaborate plan has been developed to make sure all materials and election officials are secured and are safe,” he said.
He said his team in Mandera was prepared and that all strategic and non-strategic materials had been dispatched to all the six constituencies.
“We have all our staff well trained and prepared. All poll officials will be deployed to all 554 polling stations in the county within the day,” he said.
The Elrhamu, Kotulo, Borehole 11 and Elele areas in Mandera South have recorded increased terror incidents, while Alungo, Warankara and Fino in Lafey constituency remain under close watch by security agencies.
