Voter bribery claims dominated the ongoing Mombasa and Kakamega gubernatorial elections at the start of the mini-elections on Monday, August 29.
The Kakamega gubernatorial elections were postponed due to confusion on ballot papers alongside the Mombasa contest.
Other areas where elections are ongoing include Kitui Rural, Kacheliba, Pokot South, and Rongai constituencies where voters are electing their members of parliament.
Speaking at Bulimbo Primary School after casting his vote, Kakamega gubernatorial candidate Fernandes Barasa accused his arch-rival Cleophas Malala of bribing voters on Election Day.
Fernandes, who is vying on the ODM ticket under the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition party called on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to commence investigations on the ANC party candidate saying his actions amount to electoral malpractices.
Barasa made the allegations after a UDA agent was arrested for allegedly bribing voters.
Suleiman Nyongesa, who unsuccessfully vied for the Malaha Makunga Isongo ward was arrested at Mumias Muslim Primary School polling center and taken to Shianda Police Station.
Similar allegations of voter bribery were also reported in Mombasa gubernatorial elections as well as Rongai parliamentary seat.
In Mombasa, UDA candidate Hassan Omar alleged voter bribery by Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition party leaders in the ongoing exercise.
Speaking after casting his vote at Makadara grounds in Mvita the former Mombasa senator called the police officer to act with immediate effect.
“It is time to live by the rules of democracy if police officers are not ready to impose it then we will do it on our own,” he said.
In Rongai parliamentary mini-polls, KANU’s Raymond Moi accused UDA party agents of flouting election rules by campaigning for his rival Paul Chebor on voting day.
Raymond said that UDA leaders have been running around the polling stations campaigning for Chebor, yet it is against the law.
“You hear a lot of things…that ballot boxes have been stuffed. Elected members are all over Rongai… there are mobilizers and ward agents. It is not fair, the playing field is not leveled, they are out there attempting to intimidate voters,” he said.
This saw Nakuru East MP David Gikaria being chased away from the Kiamunyi Mixed Secondary School polling station in Rongai Constituency by irate voters.
