UDA orders repeat nomination in Moiben constituency
Supporters of various aspirants who gathered outside the Moiben Constituency Tallying Centre in Uasin Gishu County are teargassed by police on April 15, 2022 following a dispute over the vote results.
The United Democratic Alliance party will repeat nominations for Moiben constituency on Tuesday after the party’s National Elections Board cancelled the Thursday results.
The party said that the decision was reached following complaints by parliamentary aspirants.
“We now ask the aspirants to continue preparing for the exercise,” said the board in a statement read by Uasin Gishu County Returning Officer Benjamin Kibet.
The party said it is committed to conduct free, fair and credible nominations.
“The board assures UDA members, aspirants and Moiben residents that their democratic rights will be guaranteed,” said the party.
UDA ticket
Some of the aspirants eyeing the UDA tickets include Prof Phyllis Bartoo, James Kibor, former Eldoret East MP Joseph Lagat and Diana Chebet.
Whoever wins the UDA ticket, will face current MP Sila Tiren who will be defending the seat as an independent candidate.
On Friday evening, Nominated Senator Millicent Omanga, who represented the UDA national office at the constituency tallying centre, said the party would address the issues raised by the aspirants.
In the provisional results, Prof Phyllis Bartoo and former Eldoret East MP Joseph Lagat were in a neck and neck competition for the UDA ticket.
Police lobbed teargas at the rowdy supporters who were demanding that the results be announced.
Some aspirants had also complained of irregularities. They alleged that the number of those who voted in some polling stations exceeded the number of registered voters.
The stalemate delayed the tallying process at Hill School Eldoret and the announcement of the final results.
Some aspirants claimed that some ballot boxes from Mumetet polling station had been tampered with.
On Saturday, Mr Kibet said that the election board was in the process of reviewing complaints from aspirants of other seats across the country.
On Friday, senatorial aspirant Kipchumba Karori had called for the repeat of the exercise over alleged malpractices.
Governor Jackson Mandago, after he was declared winner to fly the party ticket for senatorial race, dismissed the claims, saying the party primaries were free and fair.
