Security beefed up as Mathare voters elect MP

Nairobi, Kenya: Security in Mathare slums has been mounted as voters go to the polls Monday to elect their MP in a hotly contested by-election.

Nine candidates are fighting it out to represent the Mathare constituency for the next three and a half years in the National Assembly. Of the nine in the race, five are sponsored by political parties and the other four are independent.

Nairobi area police boss Benson Kibue said that at least 200 police officers have been deployed across various polling stations. He noted that other officers will be patrolling the area and another contingent has been deployed at the main tallying centre in St Teresa's Girls Primaryn School.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has hired and trained 230 presiding and deputy presiding officers as well as 460 polling clerks for the election.

Mathare Constituency Returning Officer Joseph Masindet is confident about achieving a credible election.

"We have promised the candidates that this election will be free and fair. Campaigns have so far been conducted peacefully and we expect a smooth process to the end," said Mr Masindet.

The final preparations, staff deployment and distribution of election material to polling stations were done Sunday.

Masindet said the polling stations would be opened at 6am and closed at 5pm. He noted that those still queuing at 5 pm would be allowed to vote but those outside the gate would be barred.

"We are appealing to the voters to turn out and vote for their preferred candidate. Everything is in place and we hope to complete the exercise by 11pm," said Masindet.

Electronic Voter Identification Devices will be used in each polling station while transmission of provisional results will be done electronically from each polling stream.

The returning officer also met other IEBC officials and held discussions with domestic and international observers accredited to monitor the mini-polls.

Intense battle

Briefing of other stakeholders including political party agents was held over the past week.

According to Masindet, Mathare constituency has a total of 88,053 registered voters spread across six county assembly wards and 115 polling stations.

TNA's George Wanjohi, ODM candidate Steve Kariuki, Maendeleo Democratic aspirant Fwamba NC Fwamba, National Labour Party's Billian Okoth and Sammy Mudanya of the Progressive Party of Kenya will square it out in the intense battle.

Other contestants include four independent candidates, William Omondi, Barrack Obadi, Mariam Macharia, and Nixon Kavai.

Another independent candidate, Gor Semelang'o was knocked out of the race on a technicality of the rules and regulations of the Judiciary stating that one appellate judge cannot give conservatory orders.

Gor had filed an appeal of the decision by the High Court to bar him from contesting but because the Judiciary has been on recess, Gor could access only one judge.

Speaking to The Standard by phone, he said once the judges return, his case would be determined although the mini-poll would have been conducted.

"I have been knocked out of the race because of some technicalities that were not of my making. We hope the case will still go on and a determination reached," said Semelang'o.

The Standard has also learnt that the candidates will have a separate tallying centre within the constituency to parallel IEBC's. Candidates say the move is aimed at checking any attempt to manipulate results in favour of any one candidate.

ODM's Political Affairs Officer Maseme Machuka told The Standard that the last General Election in Mathare was marred by irregularities and they did not expect a repeat.

"We have two party agents at each polling station and expect to tally our own votes at our centre to ensure that there is fairness and the exercise is credible," said Mr Machuka.