Massive errors revealed in Siaya gubernatorial vote recount

By MAUREEN ODIWUOR

KENYA: Many discrepancies have been recorded in the Siaya gubernatorial vote recount ordered in three constituencies by the High Court in Kisumu.

In an affidavit sworn by Governor Amoth Rasanga’s agent, Peter Mbeka, during the recount for Gem and Rarieda constituencies, the outcome bore massive inconsistencies.

At Onyinyore polling station in Gem, voting papers were missing in ballot boxes. The number of counterfoil books found in ballot boxes were either too many or few, with broken or missing seals.

The number of counterfoil books did not match those of registered voters in more than five polling stations, while there were incidents of seals missing and ballot boxes badly damaged in Nyasidhi and Kagilo primary schools,.

The same situation was replicated in Rarieda, although the fresh tally results in Bondo corresponded to the initial tallies during election.

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In Rarieda, the total number of registered voters during the March 4 poll was 6,751, this being 93.8 per cent turnout and forms 35 indicated there were 6,331 votes cast.

Registered voters

After the recount, it was revealed that the total number of ballots cast in the constituency was 2,815, which indicated that only 41 per cent of registered voters turned out for the exercise. In Gem Constituency, the number of registered voters was 6,941where 6,165 voted but the recount showed that 3223 votes were cast.

In the three constituencies, Rasanga led by a margin of 231 votes after beating Oduol with 133,798 votes. In Gem, Oduol led with 23,248 votes against Rasanga’s 19,757. In Bondo, Rasanga had 37,183 votes while Oduol garnered 16,287.

Rasanga led in Rarieda with 23,314 ballots while Oduol got 19,316. Despite being in the lead, Rasanga is alleging that someone might have tampered with ballot boxes and their contents before the recount ordered bythe High Court. In a written supporting affidavit, Rasanga said there are a lot of anomalies emerging after the recount that did not favour him.