Narc-Kenya steals thunder from PNU, ODM

By STANDARD TEAM

Former Justice Minister Martha Karua's party stole the thunder from President Kibaki's Party of National Unity by winning two seats as Orange Democratic Movement retained one.


According to the provisional results from the Interim Independent Electoral Commission (IIEC), Narc-Kenya, which splintered from PNU after Kibaki’s controversial victory in the 2007 presidential elections, took the Juja seat, which was held by defeated Government Chief Whip Mr George Thuo.

Kabogo got 45,020 votes while Thuo came third, garnering just 19,366 votes after Ng’ang’a Alice Wambui of Kenya National Congress who was second with 24,326 votes.

The flower party, headed by the Gichugu MP, who is fighting to replace Kibaki at State House in 2012, also wrested the Makadara Constituency seat from PNU’s Dick Wathika.

It was good hunting for Karua, who abandoned the Cabinet in 2008, citing frustration by the President’s associates. Karua literally plucked ‘flowers’ from the PNU garden — whipping Thuo, Kibaki’s choice for Chief Whip, and former Assistant Minister Dick Wathika.


Narc-Kenya won Makadara seat through newcomer Gidion Mbuvi who garnered 19,913 votes. ODM’s Reuben Ndolo was second with 17,652.

The seat fell vacant after ODM’s successfully petitioned the courts through Ndolo, a former star pugilist to nullify the 2007 results, that declared PNU’s Dick Wathika the winner. In Monday’s by-election, Wathika was a distant third with 11,088.

However, ODM successfully defended its Starehe seat through Bishop Margaret Wanjiru, of ‘the glory is here’ fame. The televangelist, associated with Jesus is Alive Ministries, got 29,287 votes. Her closest challenger, former Sports Minister and President Kibaki’s close confidant, Mr Maina Kamanda, got 25,416 votes.

Kamanda, who forced the by-election through a court petition against Wanjiru’s 2007 victory, led in the vote recount ordered by court by over 14,000, but it turned out to be a pyrrhic victory after the judge in the court ruling declined to declare Kamanda the winner on the basis of the recount, arguing that such an action was outside the court’s jurisdiction. The judge ruled that the integrity and storage of the ballot boxes after the 2007 elections was questionable.

humbling moment

In the three by-elections occasioned by petitions, it is only Makadara’s Kioko who is making his debut in Parliament.

Kabogo was Juja MP between 2002-2007 when Ndolo represented Makadara. Thuo fell alongside Wathika, who until Ndolo’s petition sailed through, represented Makadara.

It must have been a humbling moment for PNU in Juja, given its high-profile campaigns through Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka for Thuo.

Also getting the dÈj‡ vu feeling was ODM in Makadara, given that its bid was led by Prime Minister Raila Odinga and a coterie of ODM ministers, including Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o and Mr James Orengo.

In Makadara, IIEC said there was a 44 per cent voter turnout while Juja recorded 43 per cent and Starehe 35 per cent of the registered voters turning up to cast their ballots.

　

Complaints

Earlier in the day, most of the contestants in all the three constituencies traded claims of vote buying.

Four people were arrested over voter bribery as three constituencies went to the polls to choose their representatives.

The Interim Independent Elections Commission last evening confirmed the arrests made in Juja constituency in the by-elections that registered poor voter turnout.

On bribery claims, IIEC CEO, James Oswago said the suspects were arrested in Juja constituency following complaints of voter bribery from some of the candidates. In Makadara and Starehe there were also some claims of voter bribery.

Oswago said the four were reportedly found committing the electoral offence at various places within Thika town, and other parts of the constituency.

"We got the complaints through one of the candidates and we alerted police who moved in and arrested the four at various places," said Oswago.

In Juja, Narc-K’s William Kabogo and Alice Ng’ang’a of Kenya National Congress (KNC) had earlier complained of electoral malpractices in some areas of the vast constituency.

"I have confirmed that a group of people are going round the polling stations promising or giving people money to vote in a certain way. We have forwarded our complaint to IIEC," Kabogo told The Standard.

Oswago said the suspects had refused to name their sponsors, terming the offence ‘serious’. Following the complaints, IIEC held urgent meetings with four police bosses in the area, leading to the arrests.

Though similar claims were made in Makadara and Starehe, Oswago said the incidents were minimal as compared to the Juja incidents.

Voter bribery

　

　

"It is true we also received the same complaints about the violations in Starehe and Makadara, but upon investigations, we realised that they were minimal as compared to those in Juja," said the CEO.

He promised further action against any candidate who will be implicated in the bribery of voters. Last week Oswago shared a letter he wrote to the Internal Security PS Francis Kimemia demanding action against them, following complaints of being involved in the by-election campaigns.

The IIEC demanded that two DCs be temporary transferred from Thika and Juja following their roles in the campaigns. It was not clear if the OP acted on the IIEC’s request. One of the candidates, William Kabogo, stormed the IIEC offices last week to register complaints of State resources being used to campaign for one of his rivals in Juja.

In Makadara, voting got off to a slow start, as candidates complained of voter bribery.

ODM’s Reuben Ndolo, Narc Kenya’s Gideon Mbuvi and PNU’s Dick Wathika claimed there were incidents of vote buying.

"I have received reports that in some areas there is bribery going on and I want to ask IIEC to investigate this matter," said Ndolo.

In polling stations visited by The Standard, there was low voter turnout, a scenario IIEC officials attributed to the polling date falling on a working day.

Polling centres opened at 6am with PNU’s Dick Wathika becoming the firs candidate to vote at 6.30am at St Patrick’s Primary School. Ndolo cast his vote at 10.14 am at St John’s Primary School in Kaloleni while Mbuvi voted at 8.30 am at Bidii Primary School in Buru Buru.