Kenyan
JF-Expert Member
- Jun 7, 2012
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Nyakach constituency's Returning Officer was roughed up and heckled by a group of youths who wanted him to declare nomination results in favour of their respective candidates.
Mr James Okoth said they had gone to Pap Onditi tallying centre to sort the payment of clerks when a group of agitated youths forced him to announce the champions of the nomination primaries.
Police intervened and accorded him escort to Kisumu where he intended to present governor and senate results to County Returning Officer Albert Mbagwa who is suspected to have gone missing.
"The police came to my rescue and escorted me to Kisumu after I sensed danger from the agitated crowd," he said.
He said part of what led tempers of the party's supporters was because out of 80 polling stations in 18 of them, nominations were not conducted.
"We were to repeat the process in some polling stations today (Saturday) but it never happened following the directive given by ODM's National Election's Board that voting today is against the constitution," said Okoth.
He claimed he had earlier submitted Parliamentary and other results to ODM'S Elections Board Secretary Judith Parina.
According to him, Aduma Owuor led in the parliamentary seat nominations with 12,422 votes followed by former area MP Pollins Ochieng with 6296 votes and Aloo Ogeka loosing with 246.
Meanwhile, ODM supporters in Muhoroni Constituency staged demonstrations demanding to be allowed to vote.
Youths in the area protested in the streets of Muhoroni town accusing politicians of ill intentions following delay of voting materials to the area for three consecutive days.
Tension rose in the area when the materials delay to arrive at the Muhoroni Division Police headquarters on time.
"Angry voters milled at the station demanding answers to the delayed procedure and it gave police officers a lot of work controlling the crowd.
General Service Unit officers were also on alert in case anything happened at the venue where ballot papers arrived at midday.
An aspirant, Agwenge Mbeche told youths in the area to be patient that they would finally vote despite the fact that they had surpassed the deadline date.
"I am confident that we will vote come what may," he insisted.
Voting in the area began at 4.30PM.
Muhoroni Youth FC Adagala alleged that three youths had lost their lives due to violent campaigns rampant in the area, and told the aspirants in the area to own up to the claims.
"These people have promoted violence that has led to the death of three youths since campaigns began"Adagala said.
Former area MP Ayiecho Olweny disputed that there were death incidences as a result of bad blood between him and his opponents that led to deaths.
"If anyone was killed the police could have know better though nothing of the sought happened," said Olweny.
He accused one of his opponents for promoting violence even citing that his close allies were caught with guns.
However Muhoroni OCPD Muthuri Mwongera refuted claims of deaths and violence incidents out of political animosity.
"We have not had any incidents of people losing lives out of political violence, those claims are not true," he said.
Source: Standard Media | January 19, 2013 | Story by Maureen Odiwuor
Mr James Okoth said they had gone to Pap Onditi tallying centre to sort the payment of clerks when a group of agitated youths forced him to announce the champions of the nomination primaries.
Police intervened and accorded him escort to Kisumu where he intended to present governor and senate results to County Returning Officer Albert Mbagwa who is suspected to have gone missing.
"The police came to my rescue and escorted me to Kisumu after I sensed danger from the agitated crowd," he said.
He said part of what led tempers of the party's supporters was because out of 80 polling stations in 18 of them, nominations were not conducted.
"We were to repeat the process in some polling stations today (Saturday) but it never happened following the directive given by ODM's National Election's Board that voting today is against the constitution," said Okoth.
He claimed he had earlier submitted Parliamentary and other results to ODM'S Elections Board Secretary Judith Parina.
According to him, Aduma Owuor led in the parliamentary seat nominations with 12,422 votes followed by former area MP Pollins Ochieng with 6296 votes and Aloo Ogeka loosing with 246.
Meanwhile, ODM supporters in Muhoroni Constituency staged demonstrations demanding to be allowed to vote.
Youths in the area protested in the streets of Muhoroni town accusing politicians of ill intentions following delay of voting materials to the area for three consecutive days.
Tension rose in the area when the materials delay to arrive at the Muhoroni Division Police headquarters on time.
"Angry voters milled at the station demanding answers to the delayed procedure and it gave police officers a lot of work controlling the crowd.
General Service Unit officers were also on alert in case anything happened at the venue where ballot papers arrived at midday.
An aspirant, Agwenge Mbeche told youths in the area to be patient that they would finally vote despite the fact that they had surpassed the deadline date.
"I am confident that we will vote come what may," he insisted.
Voting in the area began at 4.30PM.
Muhoroni Youth FC Adagala alleged that three youths had lost their lives due to violent campaigns rampant in the area, and told the aspirants in the area to own up to the claims.
"These people have promoted violence that has led to the death of three youths since campaigns began"Adagala said.
Former area MP Ayiecho Olweny disputed that there were death incidences as a result of bad blood between him and his opponents that led to deaths.
"If anyone was killed the police could have know better though nothing of the sought happened," said Olweny.
He accused one of his opponents for promoting violence even citing that his close allies were caught with guns.
However Muhoroni OCPD Muthuri Mwongera refuted claims of deaths and violence incidents out of political animosity.
"We have not had any incidents of people losing lives out of political violence, those claims are not true," he said.
Source: Standard Media | January 19, 2013 | Story by Maureen Odiwuor