All set for Nyaribari Chache by-election

By KENAN MIRUKA      

With a day to go before voters in Nyaribari Chache go into the polls to elect a new MP in Monday’s by-election, political parties were in last minute efforts to woo voters yesterday.

Various political parties camped in the constituency to consolidate support for their respective candidates, meeting voters in door-to-door campaigns and church gatherings.

CORD challenged the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to remain a neutral arbiter and deliver a credible poll.

Briefing the media at the Kisii Sports Club on Saturday, party officials led by Kisii County Senator Chris Obure and Deputy Governor Joash Maangi asked IEBC to investigate claims of a plot to selectively delay results from certain polling stations.

“IEBC has a huge responsibility to deliver a free and fair election. We have reports that there are plans to delay transmission of results from certain zones so as to stuff ballots for certain party candidates. Results should be declared at random and not on a selective basis,” said Obure.

The leaders, who included MPs Richard Onyonka (Kitutu Chache South) and Simba Arati (Dagoretti North), asked IEBC to avoid a repeat of what happened in the just concluded Bomachoge Borabu by election where ODM agents were arrested and detained for hours before the start of voting.

They exuded confidence of emerging victorious on Monday and urged their supporters to turn out in large numbers.

In a media briefing earlier on Saturday, senior IEBC officials led by Commissioner Abdullahi Sharawe assured political parties that they would deliver a free and fair poll.

“We are set for this election and all material plus personnel to man this election will be dispatched at midday on Sunday to the 110 polling stations in the constituency. We have recruited and trained 350 clerks and 225 presiding officers to run this exercise,” said the commissioner.

Some 240 police officers will provide security in the polling stations and Keumbu tallying centre. The constituency has 58,164 registered voters.

“Results will be relayed electronically and Kenyans can download an application that runs on android enabled phones to follow the transmission of aggregate results in real time anywhere in the country,” said communications manager Andrew Limo.

Nine candidates are in the race for the seat. They include Former MP Robert Monda (TNA), former KTDA board secretary Ken Omanga (Kanu),James Kenani(LPK), Ben Mogaka (KSC), Rael Otundo (Narc-Kenya), Jared Arasa (KNC) and Zachary Marwa (NVP). Jubilee alliance leaders led by senator Mike Sonko and Taveta MP Naom Shabaan campaigned for TNA’s Dr Monda. The team split into groups with Dr Monda flanked by former Kitutu Masaba MP Walter Nyambati as he joined worshippers at Kisii Central SDA church.