Raila, Ruto deploy top teams in bid to win seats in delayed polls

President-elect William Ruto’s UDA and Raila Odinga’s Azimio have dispatched a team of politicians and their trusted lieutenants to guard their votes and man polling stations in the by-elections happening tomorrow.

Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) will conduct gubernatorial elections in Mombasa and Kakamega.

Other areas where elections will be held are Kitui Rural, Kacheliba, Pokot South and Rongai constituencies as well as Kwa Njenga ward in Embakasi South, and Nyaki West ward in Imenti North. 

IEBC has shifted two tallying centres in Mombasa to avoid disruption of learning in schools.

Mombasa IEBC returning officer, Swalha Yusuf, said that there are chances of the exercise extending up to Wednesday.

The Ministry of Education closed schools for a day to allow residents to vote. 

“We have moved Jomvu constituency tallying centre from Mikindani primary to Mikindani Social Hall and Mvita constituency tallying centre from Mvita primary to National Museum centre, Swahili Pot Hall after consultation with all stakeholders. This is to avoid shifting of ballots to different sites when schools resume on Tuesday,” said Ms Yusuf.

Read: Raila in Mombasa to campaign for Nassir in governor race

The IEBC has, however, assured residents that they will complete the exercise on time since they have conducted adequate civic education.

“We witnessed very low voter turnout and many spoilt votes in the just-concluded election and as result, we conducted civic education on how to vote and need to turn up in the exercise thus we hope to have more voters’ in the Monday gubernatorial election,” said the officer.

Speaking during a press briefing at Mombasa IEBC offices, Ms Yusuf also said the commission has reshuffled all polling stations officers in the county as part of ensuring transparency in the exercise.

Kamba community

Yesterday, Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka arrived in Mombasa to meet the Kamba community ahead of the election on Monday.

Accompanied by Dadaab MP Farah Maalim, Mr Musyoka wants to bolster the numbers of Azimio’s candidate Nassir.

“We are happy to be in Mombasa ahead of Monday’s crucial day. Mombasa and Kakamega voters were denied their constitutional right to vote for their gubernatorial candidate during the August 9 polls. I call that constitutional discrimination,” said Mr Musyoka.

He said although the campaigns period had lapsed as per the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) rules, he will meet people to plan Monday’s polls. Mr Maalim urged the Somali community to support Mr Nassir.

Kenya Kwanza Alliance brigade led by deputy president-elect Rigathi Gachagua, Moses Wetang’ula, Kitutu Chache North MP-elect Japheth Nyakundi and his South Mugirango counterpart Silvanus Osoro said they have been sent to the port city to support Mr Omar to liberate the county.

Read: Buoyed by Ruto win, UDA focuses on Mombasa governor seat

Azimio will use their elected MPs Badi Twalib (Jomvu), Mishi Mboko (Likoni), Omar Mwinyi (Changamwe), Rashid Bedzimba (Kisauni) and Masoud Machele (Mvita) to safeguard Mr Nassir’s votes.

They will also be rallying their constituents to support their candidate. Others are former Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu, Babu Owino (Embakasi East), Esther Passari (Nairobi woman rep), Sabina Chege, and John Mbadi.

Ms Ngilu is Azimio’s chief agent in Changamwe. She said she will be going door-to-door to ask voters to go and vote.

“We must support Mr Nassir who has an agenda for Mombasa, unlike his opponent. Mr Nassir will revive the county’s economy by lowering taxes to boost small-scale businesses, and give women revolving funds,” said Ms Ngilu.

Safeguard votes

Kenya Kwanza began planning the Monday polls last week. From Monday, Dr Ruto’s lieutenants said they will deploy heavy machinery to safeguard Mr Omar’s votes.

“Mombasa and Coast will change from Monday, stop being scared, we have planned everything. We are now very proud because we have clinched the presidency. We now have the machinery and financial ability. I will be the chief whip at the National Assembly,” said Mr Osoro.

Mr Osoro said in sensitive voting centres, Kenya Kwanza has placed elected MPs as party agents. 

“I am not going back to South Mugirango until we win the seat. We won’t rig we will win fairly. Our opponents have lost presidency and popularity, they are scared because this county is no longer an ODM stronghold,” said Mr Osoro. 

Former Kinango MP Benjamin Tayari and his Lunga Lunga counterpart Khatib Mwashetani, who lost their seats in the August 9 polls to Gonzi Rai (PAA) and Mangale Chiforomodo (UDM) respectively, swore to campaign for Mr Omar.

In Kakamega, presiding officers and their deputies who handled the August 9 polls will not be deployed to serve in the same position during the election.

IEBC county returning officer Joseph Ayatah said the changes had been made after reports indicated that the officials had secretly met some of the candidates in what is suspected to be a scheme to rig the polls.

Mr Ayatah, who was responding to accusations from the Kenya Kwanza camp, said checks and balances had been put in place to ensure a free, fair and credible election. 

He said new presiding officers and their deputies will be in charge of the elections in polling stations.

Mr Ayatah said he had reshuffled the officers to ensure the position of presiding officers and their deputies were taken up by new people.

“I have advised the candidates to invest their time and money on loyal agents and stop wasting time approaching presiding officers and deputies. We have made changes to ensure the same officials will not be in charge of polling stations on Monday,” said Mr Ayatah. 

He said security will be tight with officers from General Service Unit being deployed to areas where the possibility of violence was high.

“We are all set for the election. We have managed to check the Kiems kits and I can confirm to you that, so far gadgets for six constituencies are working properly. We are working on the rest and should be ready before the end of the day,” said Mr Ayatah.

Western battle

The battle for the Kakamega governor seat is high stake contest in which former Kakamega senator Cleophas Malala (ANC) and former managing director of the Kenya Electricity and Transmission Company (Ketraco) Ferdinand Barasa are considered front runners.

Other candidates are former Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo (UDP), Suleiman Kanyanya Sumba (Kanu), lawyer Michael Sakwa Osundwa (Independent), Austine Opitso Otieno (Independent) and Samwel Omukoko (MDP).

Kakamega has 844,551 registered voters. Mr Malala and Mr Barasa were locked in meetings with their campaign managers and agents to put final arrangements in place ahead of the election.

Kakamega County police commander Joseph Kigen was locked in a meeting yesterday with security officials to plan the deployment of security teams ahead of the polls.

On the other hand, preparations for the postponed parliamentary election in Rongai constituency in Nakuru are complete.

Read: Raymond Moi's political fate on the line ahead of Monday's Rongai poll

IEBC county manager Joseph Mele announced that the tallying centre has been shifted from Kirobon Boys Secondary School to Nakuru Teachers Training College.

“We’re ready for the election and its preparations and security arrangements are complete,” said Dr Mele.

He said the electoral body held the final meeting with all the candidates on Friday to iron out sticky issues like the list of agents.

Raymond Moi faces an uphill task in making a historic third term in office when the more than 84,000 voters cast their votes tomorrow.

The UDA brigade made a tour of the constituency led by Mr Gachagua and urged the residents to vote for Paul Chebor.

Moi legacy

The election is like a double-edged knife for the Moi name after Raymond’s brother Mr Gideon Moi was rejected by the people of Baringo.

Apart from Mr Chebor, the other candidate in the race is former MP Luka Kigen of Chama cha Mashinani (CCM) ticket.

Many political analysts in the region will be keenly following the outcome of the polls as it might signal the end of the last powerful dynasty in Rift Valley.

On Friday, the three candidates held a final meeting with IEBC officials and security to iron out any sticky issues.

A security official said that Raymond raised concern over the way the UDA leaders led by Mr Gachagua invaded the area on Wednesday campaigning for Mr Chebor.

Yesterday, Mr Chebor said that his opponent should not panic because the UDA brigade that gave him support are not voters in Rongai.

In Kitui Rural, UDA deployed all its political troops in Ukambani for a marathon three-day campaign blitz. 

Several UDA party politicians led by National chairman Johnstone Muthama joined their candidate Charles Mutisya Nyamai on the campaign trail.

The UDA teams include elected MPs Nimrod Mbai (Kitui East), Vincent Musyoka (Mwala) and the governor and parliamentary candidates who lost in the August 9 elections. 

Kitui Rural is among areas where elections were deferred following a mix-up of photos of candidates in the ballot papers. 

The race pits only two candidates, UDA’s Mr Nyamai, a two-term former area MP against Wiper party’s David Mwalika Mboni, who is the incumbent.

Mr Nyamai is a political buddy of DP Ruto while Mr Mwalika who ran on a CCU ticket in 2017 before defecting to Wiper is banking on his party leader Mr Musyoka.

The UDA team is telling voters to elect Mr Nyamai because he’s destined to be a key player in the Ruto government, as opposed to the Wiper group whose fate will depend on the outcome of the presidential election petition at the Supreme Court. 

In West Pokot, the Kenya Kwanza teams campaigned in Pokot South and Kacheliba for MP seats. 

It will be a fierce battle between the Azimio and Kenya Kwanza candidates.

The UDA brigade led by Mr Gachagua and West Pokot Governor Simon Kachapin toured Kabichbich, Ortum, Chepareria, Kamla, Kacheliba areas in voter-hunting campaigns. 

The leaders drummed up support for UDA candidates Simon Kalekem (Pokot South) and Mark Lomunokol (Kacheliba) asking residents to vote out rebels Pokot South MP David Pkosing and former West Pokot Deputy Governor Titus Lotee who is the Kacheliba constituency candidate.

Mr Gachagua said that they need to have many seats in the national assembly.

Reported Winnie Atieno, Anthony Kitimo, Benson Amadala, Shaban Makokha, Francis Mureithi, Kitavi Mutua and Oscar Kakai