Twelve people have been arrested in Migori County after they were found with crude weapons shortly before the ODM party primaries kicked off on Monday.
Police reports indicated that the suspects had boarded two Toyota Probox cars and were planning to disrupt voting in Suna West constituency.
ODM polls: Police arrest man with a blood-stained panga in Migori
MP Peter Masara is battling former MP Joseph Ndiege for the ODM ticket, in what is expected to be a tightly contested race.
Suna East sub-county police boss Esau Ochorokodi said they were alerted that the suspects had planned to disrupt the party’s primaries.
“They are in police custody and we will prefer criminal charges against them. We had … information that they were hired by one of the aspirants to disrupt polls in places dominated by the opponent,” said Mr Ochorokodi.
The suspects were arrested in Bondo Nyironge, Suna West. Five machetes, two clubs and campaign materials bearing the details of one of the aspirants were seized from them.
Police had intensified patrols in Suna West following reports there were plans to disrupt the nominations.
Voters queue at Oruba Mixed Secondary School during the ODM primaries in Migori.
Photo credit: Ondari Ogega | Nattion Media Group
There was heavy police presence in Suna West as voters trooped to polling stations. The nominations kicked off at 8.30am following delays in the delivery of voting materials.
Polling clerks complained that they were unable to log onto the electronic kits due to a poor network connection.
In Migori County, ODM nominations will be conducted for the Suna West parliamentary seat, the woman representative position and in 40 wards.
The ODM ticket for the governor’s position was issued to Senator Ochillo Ayacko while Mr Eddy Okech, the Senate hopeful, was also handed a direct ticket along with five sitting MPs.
The MPs were Junet Mohamed (Suna East), Paul Abuor (Rongo), Walter Owino (Awendo), Mark Nyamita (Uriri) and Tom Odege (Nyatike).
Some of the crude weapons found in the suspects' car during Migori ODM primaries.
Photo credit: Pool
“We have a peaceful voting process and we laud the security officers for bringing peace, especially the previous night as we were afraid of chaos,” Mr Masara, the Suna West MP, said shortly after voting at Oruba Mixed Secondary School.
“We have witnessed pockets of violence in the past and its laudable that security (agents) have come in handy to restore calm.”
In the woman representative’s race, Ms Josephine Sirega, a former Ramogi FM presenter, quit at the last minute just before the polls kicked off, saying she would vie as an independent candidate.
“I can’t involve myself in ODM primaries whose results are already predetermined and what is happening is only a formality. I will be in the general election as an independent ticket,” she said.
She left nominated MP Dennitah Ghati and businesswomen Fatuma Mohammed, Zilpa Audline and Millicent Kajimba to battle for the seat.
