UDA Primaries: Confusion and chaos in Moiben, Turbo derail tallying
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.
Confusion and chaos in Moiben and Turbo constituencies in Uasin Gishu County derailed tallying of results in the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party nominations.
Police used teargas to disperse crowds in both areas on Friday following disputes over results and delays in tallying.
By Friday evening, the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) had not announced its flagbearer for the Moiben parliamentary seat following an electoral dispute.
Nominated Senator Millicent Omanga who represented the UDA national office at the constituency tallying centre said on Friday evening that the party would communicate the way forward, following the standoff over results of the nomination exercise.
Nominated Senator Millicent Omanga (centre) announcing the UDA nominations results for Moiben Constituency of Uasin Gishu County at the Teachers Advisory Centre in Eldoret town on April 15, 2022.
Ms Omanga who was forced to intervene and announce results at Tac Centre-the Moiben tallying centre did not announce the winner of the parliamentary ticket.
Prof Phyllis Bartoo and former Eldoret East MP Joseph Lagat were in a neck and neck competition for the party’s ticket.
Police used teargas to disperse supporters who became rowdy at the tallying centre over delays in releasing results.
Aspirants and their agents argue after a ballot box from Mumetet Primary School Polling Station in Moiben Constituency was found to have been tampered with on arrival at the Constituency Tallying Centre at the Teachers Advisory Centre in Eldoret town.
This followed a standoff after some aspirants lodged several complaints about alleged irregularities.
For instance, they said that the number of voters exceeded registered ones at some polling stations.
The stalemate affected all the results for seats from MCA to governor, delaying the tallying process.
The returning officer had requested a few hours to act on the complaints.
Riot-police dispersing supporters of various aspirants who gathered outside Moiben Constituency Tallying Centre in Uasin Gishu County at the Teachers Advisory Centre in Eldoret town, on April 15, 2022 during tallying of the UDA party nominations results.
In Turbo, police used teargas to disperse a rowdy group of youths who attempted to storm the Paul Boit High School tallying centre on Friday morning, threatening to burn ballot boxes as revenge.
More than 50 irate youths accused their opponents of sponsoring the burning of ballot papers in an earlier incident.
"We want to know why police supervised the burning of ballot boxes belonging to our candidate. It is our turn now to burn all ballot papers in this hall,” they charged, as they threatened to pull down a gate leading to the tallying hall.
Anti-riot police thwarted the attempt with teargas, overpowering the group, which then resorted to hurling stones at motorists on the Eldoret-Webuye road.
Police eventually brought the situation under control after minutes of confrontations.
In the earlier incident, a group of youths accosted a team ferrying ballot materials to the tallying centre at around 5am and set the papers ablaze.
The incident was condemned by Uasin Gishu governor aspirant Jonathan Bii.
"As a law-abiding citizen, I condemn what has happened here. All suspects must be arrested and face the rule of law," he said.
At 6am, at the Moiben tallying station at Tac Centre, some aspirants protested after ballot boxes from the Mumetet polling station were found to have been tampered with.
Following consensus between some of the aspirants and their agents, the votes were nullified.
