Kajiado Central goes to polls to elect MP

Police officer mans the tallying centre at Maasai Technical Training Institute. (Photo:Peterson Githaiga/Standard)

Voters in the Kajiado Central Parliamentary by-election started trooping to the polling stations early Monday morning to elect the man who will replace Joseph Nkaissery.

The contest has attracted three candidates Patrick Tutui (JAP), Elijah Memusi (ODM), Kuntai Nkashuma (Independent).

The Kajiado Central Parliamentary seat fell vacant following the resignation of Nkaissery who took up the post of Interior Cabinet Secretary.

Voting in most of the polling stations in the vast constituency started at 6am as scheduled. The constituency has 39,545 registered voters who will cast their ballot in 102 stations with 87 streams.

Area Returning Officer Morris Owino Sunday said there are 204 security officers deployed in the respective polling stations, 20 of whom will man the tallying centre at Maasai Technical Training Institute.

In one of the centres, Ilbisil Primary school, over 300 residents had cast their ballot by 8.30am. The centre has 1,236 registered voters and it is here where Patrick Tutui cast his vote.

Despite the polling centre’s location in an urban set up, most of the voters require assistance due to the high illiteracy level.

Tutui arrived at the polling station accompanied by Kajiado Senator Peter Mosiset, Kajiado South MP Katoo ole Metito, Moses ole Sakuda (Kajiado North) and Nairobi Senator Mike Sonko.

The JAP candidate acknowledged that the voting process was smooth and stated that he would accept the outcome of the poll. He urged the electorate to remain peaceful throughtout the exercise.

Independent candidate Kuntai Nkashuma cast his vote at Eng’alibo Primary School polling station in Maili Tisa. A mix up in the register in this station affected the voting exercise as voters were turned away after their names could not be identified.

According to an IEBC official at the polling station, some members of the public turned up to vote yet they were not registered voters.