Over 55,000 set to vote after fierce campaigns

Deputy President Kithure Kindiki during the Karerema People's Forum, Mbeere North Constituency, Embu County. He was flanked by Mbeere North UDA candidate Leo Wamuthende and other leaders.[DPCS]

More than 55,000 voters of Mbeere North will on Thursday,pick their MP after fierce campaigns that put the constituency in the national debate.

Heavy police deployment was on Wednesday,witnessed in Siakago town centre and at the tallying centre, with some unmarked government vehicles spotted driving around.

Locals said they hoped the exercise would be free and fair. "We hope that the heavy deployment of police is not meant to scare us from coming out to vote," said Margaret Njoki. 

The by-election was occasioned by the appointment of then area MP Geoffrey Ruuku as Cabinet Secretary for Public Service after President William Ruto and Justin Muturi, who held the position, fell out.

The battle has attracted nine candidates, with the main faces being Newton Kariuki alias Karish (Democratic Party), Leonard Muthende (United Democratic Alliance) and Duncan Mbui (Chama cha Kazi)

Others are Albert Murimi (National Vision Party), Lawrence Ireri (Safina), Rev Isaac Muringi (United Progressive Party), Reuben Kamathai (Alliance Party for Real Change), Daniel Ireri (Kenya Moja Movement) and Simon Waiharo (Umoja na Maendeleo).

The contest has been seen largely as a supremacy battle between President Ruto, through Deputy President Kithure Kindiki, against former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.

Being barely 20 kilometers from Kindiki's Irunduni home, the outcome of Mbeere North could define the political lifeline of the second in command.

A loss could paint a grim picture of the possibility of Ruto retaining Kindiki as his running mate in his 2027 re-election game plan, a move that may see the President reconsider his political investment in Mt Kenya region.

Dogged with claims of partiality and failure to reign in on politicians breaching the electoral code of conduct, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has assures it is ready to preside over credible polls.

"We have been open and transparent. Yesterday we invited the candidates, agents and the election observers to witness opening of pallets and jointly we carried out this exercise together," said Returning Officer John Kinyua.

However, out of the nine candidates, only one was present during the opening of pallets while Kariuki was represented by his agent at St Bakhita Siakago Girls High School.

"This process is important as it gives credence to the electoral process. We will continue involving all the stakeholders during this process to ensure that the election will be above board," said IEBC Chief Executive Officer Hussein Marjan.

There are 134 polling centres across the constituency, with the most populous being Siakago Social Hall, Kanyuambora Primary School and St Peters Ishiara Primary School with three stations each.

There will be 268 presiding officers, with each polling stations having two officers and two deputies.

"There will also be two clerks in every polling station and two police officers. Other than the candidate or agent, we will not allow other political players at the tallying centre," added Kinyua.

The commission maintained that there will be no use of manual register.

"We shall strictly use biometrics and with the exception of cases of people with worn out biometrics, we have determent measures such as taking photos of the voters holding their identity cards and our clerks verifying whether the holder of the ID was the one whose image appeared in the identity cards," said Marjan.