Jubilee and UDA agree on IEBC preparedness in Kiambaa and Muguga mini polls

Limuru MP Peter Mwathi, Kiambu town MPJude Jomo, Muranga Women Rep Sabina Chege, Kieni MP Kanini Kega and Nyeri MP Ngunjiri Wambugu. [George Njunge, Standard]

Jubilee Party and the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) camps have expressed satisfaction with electoral body preparations for the mini polls set to be held at Kiambaa constituency and Muguga ward in Kiambu County.

The seats fell vacant following the death of Paul Koinange and Eliud Ngugi due to Covid-19.

The two camps say they have engaged the electoral body to iron all issues that would crop up during the mini polls.

Limuru MP Peter Mwathi, the Jubilee chair for the Kiambaa by-election said a visit to IEBC left them satisfied with the preparations.

“Am optimistic that the forthcoming polls will be conducted in the most free, fair and transparent manner, so far we have not registered anything that would call for our attention, the Kiambaa electorate has shown a lot of maturity during the campaigns,” Mwathi said.

Mwathi added that he foresees a situation where voters will get into the polling stations and still go out to conduct their day to day activities.

Re-echoing Mwathi's sentiments, Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua said the UDA camp was very confident of the preparations by IEBC.

“We have confirmed with IEBC the availability of all voting materials, recruitment of clerks, and returning officers we are now ready for the day,” Rigathi said

Rigathi, however, asked the government not to send the kind of police force they dispatched to Juja and Rurii by-elections.

”We were horrified by the number of police that were deployed to Juja and Rurii, it was as if the government was anticipating war,” Rigathi said.

The Mathira MP said one or two police men are enough to man various polling station.

“The kind of police force that was brought in Rurii and Juja was purely meant to intimidate the voters, otherwise how do you explain truckloads of police in a by-election and by the end of the exercise no incident was reported,” Rigathi said.

Rigathi asked Kiambaa people to come out in large numbers as security was guaranteed.

On Friday, IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati, accompanied by Commissioner Abdi Guliye met with Kiambu County Police Commandant Ali Nuno at his office in Kiambu to discuss security ahead of Thursday's mini polls.

Chebukati said that they will recognise only one Chief Agent and one agent at the polling stations. Chebukati warned those who take a photo of their ballot paper after voting and share on social media, stating it was an offence that attracts a fine of Sh1 million and a sentence of 3 years or both.

"For those planning to do that for financial gain or for otherwise to influence other voters who have not voted it is an offence and it will be taken seriously the commission will ensure such persons are prosecuted," Chebukati said.

Guliye said the commission does not recognise anything called super agents or roaming agents. He added the only agents they know are a Chief Agent who is one person at the constituency and agents at the polling stations.

“The chief agent is meant to coordinate efforts and activities of polling station agents. We equally have one agent at the tallying centre and therefore we will not allow people running around claiming to be agents," said Guliye.