Oparanya: Me? Support Malala for Kakamega Governor? Never!

Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya has disassociated himself from a post on his Facebook account in which he is reported asking voters to back former Kakamega senator Cleophas Malala for governor seat.

“They have hacked my account and disabled the administrators. I have reported the matter to police for investigations. What they have done is very unprofessional,” said Mr Oparanya.

A photo of Mr Malala, who is in the race for governor seat on ANC ticket has been posted on Governor Oparanya account.

The post is trending under the hashtag #VoteCleophasWakhunguMalalah.

The battle for the Kakamega governor seat is a high stake contest which has narrowed down to Mr Malala and the ODM candidate Mr Fernandes Barasa.

Voting in several polling stations in Kakamega County has been characterized by low voter turn out.

Mr Oparanya has been leading campaigns for Mr Barasa and urged voters in Kakamega to elect the former managing director of the Kenya Electricity transmission Company (Ketraco) as his successor.

“I suspect those who hacked my account did this early in the morning but there is no way I can back him for the governor seat,” said Mr Oparanya.

The outgoing county boss said he had visited several polling stations and witnessed incidents of voter bribery taking place outside polling centres.

He called on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission to punish those involved in voter bribery.

At Ibinzo primary school polling centre in Lurambi constituency, a woman was dragged into a Toyota Land Cruiser vehicle by a group of youths who accused her of bribing voters.

One of the youths is reported to have drawn a pistol before bundling the woman into the vehicle and speeding away with her.

The incident has been reported to the IEBC officials and police for investigations. The whereabouts of the woman remains unclear but the vehicle is reported to belong to a politician from Kakamega County.

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