Bus operators vet travellers’ voter status

**Travellers at Machakos bus station in Nairobi wait to board vehicles to go upcountry. [Jennifer Wachie, Standard]**

Fares to upcountry and the Coast have doubled and in some cases tripled as thousands of Kenyans scramble to leave Nairobi ahead of next week’s vote.

The exodus which coincides with the schools’ August holidays and anxiety over unrest after elections has increased demand for transport forcing some operators to give priority to those going to vote upcountry.

Several bus companies are fully booked until the end of next week. At the Machakos Bus Station yesterday some operators were asking for travellers ID numbers to ascertain where they are registered as voters, using the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission electronic system.

“We don’t want any votes to get lost for whichever coalition. We don’t have enough buses. and It is only fair for those travelling to go and vote to get the first chance to travel subject to availability,” said Derick Ochieng, a bus attendant.

“We are just being patriotic Kenyans. Either way it is right practice for buses to ask passengers for their IDs before booking them,” he responded when asked if the act amounted to infringing on people’s right to movement.

But even with this unconventional system of passenger selection, getting means to travel was a tall order. Women strapped with children on their backs sat on their luggage for hours as the buses they had booked had not yet arrived.

Buses were charging Sh2,000 to Eldoret up from Sh800, Meru Sh1,200 up from Sh700, Kisumu Sh1,500 up from Sh800 and Kisii Sh1,200 up from Sh600. The fares kept fluctuating depending on the time of the day with morning hours and evening being the most expensive. Nevertheless Agnes Mutiota who was travelling with her family to Matuu where she registered as a voter was determined to cast her ballot come Tuesday. Fares to Matuu had by yesterday doubled from Sh250 to Sh500. “I take voting seriously. It is not just a right but also a responsibility and all Kenyans should do whatever it takes to vote,” she told Saturday Standard.

Not sure

Musa Mustapha vowed to cast the ballot in Kanduyi constituency, Bungoma County on Tuesday despite difficulty in getting transport. He had been waiting since morning for a bus and was forced to pay Sh2,000 upfront. A bus ticket to Bungoma normally costs Sh800.

“Even right now we are not sure when we will leave because we have been told the bus we will use is on the way from Bungoma,” he said.

For some travelers however, jitters over the possibility of violence erupting after the polls was enough to send them back to their rural areas. And they were many too. Osborne Achoka, a bus driver in Murang’a said although his neighbours have no problem with him the safety of his family is more important.

“Whatever happens on Tuesday will happen because it is not in my control but it would be my fault if I don’t take precaution,” he said as he waited for a bus to Nyamira with his wife and four children.

The police and a number of Western countries have warned of the possibility of outbreak of violence in some areas ahead of the polls which coincide with the 10th anniversary of the 2007 post-election clashes.

On Thursday, President Uhuru Kenyatta assured residents of Nairobi of adequate security during the polls. “Don’t be scared by anyone. Nairobi belongs to all of us,” said the President during a rally at Uhuru Park.

At most bus parks sofa sets, cupboards, mattresses and other household items were competing with passengers on the yards. “The situation is similar to Christmas falling in the middle of the year,” said Thomas Nyakundi, a bus attendant.

He downplayed the fact that some people are leaving the capital because of the mounting tension. “We also witnessed a surge in the number of people travelling during the voter registration period,” he said.