Low turnout, voter bribery claims in Kabete by-election

Claims of voter bribery surfaced in the Kabete by-election in which residents are voting for their next Member of Parliament.

Some of the aspirants petitioned the independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission to investigate claims of malpractice in the election marred by low turnout.

Only a handful of voters were present at majority of polling stations at any given time. All 33 polling stations were opened at 6am as scheduled.

An IEBC official was discharged after it was discovered he allowed voters to cast their ballot without prior verification.

At Kirangari Primary school polling centre, some individuals were apprehended over claims that they were bribing residents to vote for specific candidates.

The poll has attracted nine candidates; Ferdinand Waititu who contesting under a Jubilee Alliance Party (JAP) ticket, Isaiah Ndirangu (PDU), John Wamagata (Safina), Kavore Kariuki (Narc Kenya), Newton Njenga (National Vision Party), Wilson Karanja (Orange Democratic Movement), George Mungai (Independent), Paul Kariuki (PPK), Moses Wachaga (Independent) and Kiriro wa Ngugi (DP).

Waititu lost his bid to be Nairobi's governor in the last General Election.

All nine candidates have expressed their optimism to represent the vast Kabete constituency which falls within Kiambu County.

Only two aspirants, Ngugi and Njenga, are registered voters in the constituency. The rest are not allowed to cast their ballot but they are legible to be elected.

Polling stations will close at 5pm but voters who will still be in the queue will be allowed to vote. The constituency has 62,470 voters and 92 streams.

Two armed police officers have been deployed at every polling centre and 20 officers at the Wangige Primary School tallying centre.

The new legislator will replace the late George Muchai, who was killed in Nairobi by masked assailants on February 7.