Cheruiyot takes early lead as bribery allegations mar Jubilee Alliance Party nominations

Businessman Aaron Cheruiyot took an early lead yesterday in the race for the Jubilee Alliance Party ticket for the Kericho county senatorial seat.

Cheruiyot had garnered 1,041 votes from the results of 28 polling stations in Ainamoi constituency that has 86 polling centres followed by former National Housing corporation chairman Sammy Chepkwony who had pooled 585 votes.

Former Roads minister Franklin Bett was third with 568 votes. The county has six constituencies with some 623 polling stations.

Former Kipkelion MP Magerer Langat had managed 427 votes by the time of going to press.

By the time of going to press results from other polling centres had not been received at the main tallying centre at the Kericho Teachers Training College.

Earlier in the day, voter bribery allegations, low voter turn out and delay in delivering ballot papers marred the Jubilee Alliance Party (JAP) nominations.

Former Roads minister Franklin Bett, one of the aspirants, claimed he had witnessed three incidents of voter bribery at polling centres in his strongholds in Bureti constituency.

Bett also accused the President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto-led party of delaying to deliver ballot papers and other voting materials to some centres.

“There is no reason why ballot papers should be brought late to any polling centre in a constituency with a good road network,” he said.

He claimed he witnessed bribery of voters at Kapsuser and Kibolgon in Bureti, where a vehicle belonging to an agent of one of the aspirants was damaged by angry voters.

“My agents have taken pictures of those bribing voters and we will review them with a view of lodging an official complaint to the party’s election board,” he said.

The exercise was characterised by low turn out after most of the multinational tea companies in the county allegedly refused to allow workers time off to participate in the exercise.

Another aspirant Aaron Cheruiyot also complained at Kamaso polling station in Belgut constituency about the low turnout, which he attributed to the area having a large percentage of Seventh Day Adventist Church (SDA) followers who attend church service on Saturdays.

“There was also confusion about the nomination date since some of the candidates had got it wrong and went around during their campaigns announcing that the date would be January 19 (Tuesday),” he said.

JAP cleared six aspirants to fight it out for the party ticket in the nomination ahead of the planned March 7 Kericho county senate by-election that was occasioned by the appointment of Charles Keter as Energy Cabinet Secretary late last year.

Also in the race were Sammy Chepkwony, former Kipkelion Member of Parliament Magerer Langat, Festus Mautor and former Chemelili Sugar Company manager Joel Kirui.

JAP Election Board Chairman Aden Noor Ali, who also doubled-up as the returning officer, downplayed the bribery allegations, saying none of the candidates had reported such incidents.

He, however, admitted that there was delay in opening of some of the polling centres. Ali attributed the delay to logistical hitches, saying they had plans to compensate the hours by pushing the closing time from 4:00pm to 5 o’clock.

“We had discussed with the candidates that where there would be delays, the closing time would be extended,” he said.

Ali, who was accompanied by the party’s Secretary General Veronica Maina, said they were happy with the exercise and promised a free and fair nomination. Maina said they expect to have the final results early today.