Chaos mars voting, tallying in Western

Numerous violent incidences, with at least one ending in death, have marred the voting and post-voting period in the four counties in the western region of Bungoma, Kakamega, Vihiga and Busia.

Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa was still on the run from the law after being accused of shooting to death Brian Olunga, an aide of the legislator’s rival Brian Khaemba.

Mr Barasa on Thursday was declared the winner in the MP contest, retaining his seat on a United Democratic Alliance party ticket.  

Mr Barasa got 26,000 votes against Mr Khaemba’s 9000 votes.

According to the police, the MP could have escaped through Cheptais, Bungoma County, where the last phone signal was picked up by investigators.

The incident happened on Tuesday evening as polls were closing after Mr Barasa reportedly confronted Mr Khaemba following their encounter at Chebukhwabi Primary School in Kibingei ward.

Read: Tensions grow in Sirisia as MP Waluke's supporters demand results

Police also suspect that the MP abandoned his phone at some point on the way as he was running away from the law.

Mr Barasa had been given 24 hours to surrender but he has not done so.

Rising tension

Also in Bungoma County, an incident in which gunshots were fired in Bumula constituency had caused tension to rise ahead of the polls opening on Tuesday. 

Several people were injured as rival candidates, the incumbent Mwambu Mabonga and DAP-K candidate Jack Wamboka and their supporters clashed.

Bungoma county Police Commander Joseph Ondoro had told the Nation that they were yet to make arrests over the incident but added that they had received some information that could lead to arrests. So far there has been no information of any arrests.

In Vihiga County, police are on the trail of ANC candidate for Khwisero constituency Godfrey Kanoti who is accused of storming Shibinga Primary School polling station in Kisa East ward and destroying nine ballot boxes just as vote counting was about to start on allegations that the exercise had been compromised.

The polling station had two streams with 479 registered voters each, giving a total of 858 registered voters.

Khwisero Sub-County Police Commander Samuel Kogo confirmed the incident, saying the politician raided the polling station with a group of youth armed with crude weapons and assaulted the election officials before destroying the voting materials.

“I was called by one of the presiding officers at the polling station who informed me that they had been attacked by goons accompanying the member of national assembly candidate Godfrey Kanoti,” said Mr Kogo.

Two of the election officials suffered bruises and they have recorded statements with the police in Khwisero.

Read: Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa on the run after rival's aide shot dead

“When we arrived we engaged in rescuing the election officials who had been roughed up and had run into hiding. We realised that all election material had been scattered in the polling station and this affected the election process,” he added.

According to the police, a vehicle suspected to belong to the politician was impounded at the polling station.

Mr Kogo said: “We seized nine machetes, five clubs and other crude weapons,” said the police boss.

The destroyed polling material was removed to Khwisero Police Station where it is stored awaiting direction from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

“We are handling the criminal part of the incident while IEBC will do its part,” Mr Kogo noted.

Following the incident, IEBC officials on the ground say the ballots have been contaminated but the final decision on what to do will be taken at a later time.

Vehicles damaged

In the same county, two politicians protested at their vehicles being smashed by unknown people on election day.

Mr Ernest Ogesi, the incumbent Vihiga MP who was vying on an ANC ticket, said three of his vehicles were attacked and windows smashed. At the same time, Vihiga County Woman Representative candidate Violet Bagada also had her vehicle attacked.

Meanwhile, tallying of votes in Budalang’i constituency, Busia County, was temporarily stopped following protests by agents over allegations that the deputy returning officer was altering results in favour of a woman representative candidate.

Trouble started after the deputy returning officer while announcing results, was noticed by some agents allegedly altering results in the statutory forms. An agent raised an alarm almost throwing the venue into chaos.

A video clip taken inside the tallying hall shows an agent accusing the IEBC official of “doctoring the results”. Other agents then quickly get off their seats and head toward the official. “We want to see what is going on,” another agent says.

Subsequently tallying was stopped and the returning officer who was not in the room at the time was called back. Upon return, the returning officer removed reporters from the hall saying she only wanted the IEBC officials and agents in the room.

Reporting by Shaban Makokha, Brian Ojamaa and Damianus Obondo