Few people voted in most parts of Coast except in Lamu West Constituency

Najib Balala at a past function (Photo: Courtesy)

Scores of Jubilee agents failed to turn up during the repeat presidential election on Thursday, as the party blamed poor turnout at the Coast on fear and intimidation.

President Uhuru Kenyatta’s point man at the Coast, Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala, warned that the party would take legal action against the “dishonest agents” who failed to show up in Mvita and Kisauni constituencies. 

Balala said voting in Likoni, Kisauni and Mvita did not start as early as expected because voters were not sure of what to expect.

“What NASA succeeded to do was to instill fear in people and create uncertainty in the country,” said Mr Balala.

Mombasa politician and Jubilee activist Mohammed Thenge said most of the elderly and women voters stayed away from polling stations for fear of attacks from protesters opposed to the election.

“Rumours that fingers of those who vote would be chopped off had swirled in Mvita, Kisauni and Likoni, creating fear among women and the elderly,” said Thenge.

In the sprawling Bangladesh slum in Jomvu Constituency, National Super Alliance (NASA) supporters barricaded the roads and burnt tyres to protest against the poll.

Chaos erupted in the area after hundreds of NASA supporters stormed a local primary school where they claimed there was ballot stuffing.

It took the intervention of Father Gabriel Dolan, St Patrick Catholic Church priest, to calm the youths who had started to demolish the wall of Gifted Primary School.

There was heavy police presence in Kisauni, Likoni and Mvita although the areas recorded very low voter turnout.

The six constituencies in Mombasa have about 500,000 registered voters.

Officials of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) said by 10am on Thursday, most of the 197 polling centres reported below 15 per cent voter turnout.

The low turnout was also reported in Kilifi and Kwale counties. However, in Lamu County, there was a high turnout in Lamu West Constituency but the opposite was the case in Lamu East.

In Taita Taveta, some voters expressed disinterest in the poll.

“There is no need of going to vote in the repeat poll as this is a waste of time. Time lost will never be recovered. We voted in the August 8 General Election and there is no need of repeating it,” said a businessman in Wundanyi town who had opened his shop for customers.

Three OCPDs Benjamin Muhia (Taita), Francis Mwangi (Mwatate) and Joseph Chesire (Voi) said there were no ugly incidents reported in the region.

Interestingly, Taita Taveta Governor Granton Samboja, who is a member of Wiper party, cast his vote at Mwakishimba Primary School in Wundanyi constituency, despite the opposition boycotting the election.

“Every Kenyan has a right to participate in the process. As far as I am concerned I have exercised my right to vote,” said Samboja in response to his critics. Three opposition MPs Jones Mlolwa (Voi), Danson Mwashako (Wundanyi) and Andrew Mwadime (Mwatate) said the residents and leaders had heeded the NASA call not to participate in the poll.

“We are happy that voting did not take place in most parts of the region,” said Mr Mlolwa of ODM.

Taveta MP Naomi Shaban however downplayed the low turnout.

“This is like a by-election, you do not expect a huge voter turnout,” said Shaban.