Losers reject Homa Bay poll results

A majority of candidates who participated in the recently concluded Homa Bay Senatorial by-election have rejected results released by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

Fred Rabongo (National Agenda Party), Hillary Alila (Independent), Philip Okundi (Maendeleo Democratic Party), Innocent Masara

(Independent), Edwin Matete (independent) have alleged that the by-election was marred with irregularities.

Mr Alila who came second in the 2013 General elections with more than 60,000 votes disowned results of the February 12 by election that placed him sixth with a paltry 526 votes.

"It was not a must that I had to win the election but I want to point out that a few irregularities led to wrong votes being attributed to me," Alila said.

He disputed 127,111 votes which Senator elect Moses Kajwang' of ODM got citing low turnout in the election.

"I got reports from majority of the polling stations that the voter turn out was 20 per cent at 4pm before polling stations were closed at 5pm.

Where did the votes come from?" Alila asked.

Okundi who came second by garnering 27,671 votes complained of violence which he witnessed during the election.

He argued that a number of his agents in five constituencies were ejected from polling stations besides voter bribery.

"This election was marred with irregularities and I cannot accept the results. Ejecting my agents from polling stations denied me a level playing ground for competing with my opponents fairly," Okundi lamented. His Chief Agent Odoyo Owidi declined to append his signature on the IEBC form which contained the results.

Legal action

"Signing the form would mean I am betraying my candidature yet the election was not fair," Owidi said.

Okundi said he is contemplating legal action to seek his electoral rights. Masara and Matete 303 and 274 votes respectively also said there was no fairness in the election but they will not take any action to demand fairness.

However, Benard Owuor who managed 1,158 votes and came in  fourth position, conceded defeat and promised to work with Kajwang' in uplifting the living standards of Homa Bay People.