Chuka: Voting starts after 4pm after mix-up in ballot papers
Idle polling agents at Mubukuro Primary School polling station in Chuka/Igambang'ombe constituency in Tharaka Nithi County where the exercise started late due to lack of Senate ballot papers.
Voting at Mubukuro Primary School polling centre in Chuka Igambang'ombe Constituency in Tharaka Nithi County started at 4:20pm due to missing Senate ballot papers.
Angry voters paralysed voting in the whole polling centre, insisting that it would only resume once the missing papers are available.
Tharaka Nithi County Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Returning Officer Mohammed Raka said there was a mix-up in the papers during packaging.
"The ballot papers had been wrongly labelled and that is why they were taken to Tharaka constituency instead of Chuka/Igambang'ombe constituency," said Mr Raka.
While apologising for the inconvenience, Mr Raka said the lost time would be compensated, to allow residents to vote.
Security and lighting would be assured at the polling centre throughout to ensure voting is not interfered with.
"Though we have some challenges, voting is going on in all polling stations and we hope it will end well," he said.
He, however, noted that due to many independent candidates, the polling rooms are congested with agents, giving presiding officers a hard time to control the crowd.
