By James Omoro

ODM nominations for the by-election in Ndhiwa Constituency suffered a setback after violence erupted amid claims of rigging.

Some voters attacked a presiding officer at Ratang’a Primary School in Kobama Division for delaying the voting exercise.

The voters arrived at the polling station by 6am but waited until 1pm when the officer arrived carrying the ballot box. They snatched the box and tore the ballot papers.

Police officers intervened and saved the life of the officer who was hurriedly rushed into a police vehicle.  That is the polling station where Mrs Mary Ojode, widow of the late Internal Security Assistant Minister Orwa Ojode, registered as a voter.

Many polling stations in Riana, Pala, Ndhiwa and Kobama Divisions were also affected.

Serious offence

Whether about 1,000 voters of Ratang’a would exercise their democratic right of voting is in the hands of the officials of ODM Elections Board.

Secretary to the Board Joseph Misoi said they would call a meeting and decide how voting can be carried out at Ratang’a.

Misoi expressed concern over the violence, saying the people had committed a serious offence.

“Destruction of election material is a violation of electoral code of ethics. Whoever participated in the vice must suffer the consequences. However, the board has to sit down and decide on what to do about Ratang’a voters,” Misoi said.

He said they had received reports of aspirants colluding to rig the polls and warned they would be disqualified.

“We shall not condone any kind of unfairness in this process,” Misoi said. 

The exercise was scheduled to begin at 8am but by about 2pm, many polling stations had neither seen an election official nor the nomination kit.

The aspirants stormed party’s election board at Ndhiwa Primary School and to register their complaints.

The aspirants who included Homa Bay ODM Treasurer, Monica Amolo, Michael Agwanda, Mireje Onyando, Mary Ojode, James Omamo and Denis Orero demanded to know the cause of the delay.

Unfair advantage

Agwanda claimed two ballot boxes full of cast votes were found at Oria in Pala Division.

“We need to be assured of transparency. Somebody must be trying to get an unfair advantage in this election,” Agwanda said.

He further invoked a scenario at Wachara Primary School in Kobama Division where an agent of one aspirant had taken voters cards from about 20 voters.

The voters’ names, however, were missing from the voters’ the register.

Amolo complained that a sister of one of the aspirants had been employed as a clerk at Rapedhi Primary School and termed it a plot to rig the nomination.

The aspirants demanded nullification of the polls.

“We want this election postponed because it is already full of flaws. We shall not honour this election unless it is redone,” Mireje said.