UDA postpones nominations in Bumula, Mt. Elgon, Turkana and Kakamega

The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party’s National Elections Board (NEB) has postponed the party primaries in Bumula, Mt. Elgon, Turkana Central, Kakamega and Turkana East constituencies.

Speaking while issuing a media update on the nomination exercise on Thursday, NEB Chairman Anthony Mwaura stated that the Bumula, Turkana Central, and Turkana East elections will be held on Tuesday, April 19.

Mt. Elgon and Kakamega will, meanwhile, hold their primaries on Friday, April 15.

“In Mt. Elgon and Kakamega we are carrying out tomorrow. This affects very few constituencies and county assemblies and as a body we are really pleased with the happenings,” said Mwaura.

He attributed the postponement in Mt. Elgon to reports of violence after rowdy youth barricaded roads blocking vehicles that were ferrying election materials, adding that Kakamega’s changes had been necessitated by logistic challenges.

Mwaura further dismissed reports that primaries in Kuresoi had been postponed, saying that save for a few hitches, the William Ruto-led party was proud of the way it had conducted the polls.

“No other party is carrying out such nominations,” he added.

He also rubbished allegations of fake ballot papers being spotted at polling stations, terming the claims as “unfounded rumours.”. 

The UDA nomination ballot papers, Mwaura stated, were fool-proof, and “they cannot even be photocopied.”

“There have been allegations of fake ballot papers… those are unfounded rumours we have found none. Our ballot papers are peculiar they have the watermark. They are seriously serialized and nobody can give evidence that they have been found anywhere. They cannot even be photocopied,” he said.

Elsewhere in Embu, Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen, who was dispatched to Embu by the UDA National Elections Board on Thursday ahead of the party primaries, assured that the party primaries in the county shall go on as planned even as a section of leaders in other regions call for the nullification of the exercise amid rigging claims.

“Elections will go on regardless of whether there are a few people suffering from election fever and scared of losing,” he added.

 In Bomet County, aspirants raised rigging claims at Tenwek High School just hours after the exercise kicked off on Thursday morning, wanting the exercise to be called off.

 Led by Former KNUT Secretary General Wilson Sossion, the leaders claimed they had been able to access insecure ballot boxes and marked ballot papers at Tenwek, raising concerns over the credibility of the party primaries in the region.

Bomet Governor Hilary Barchok also displayed to the media a pair of ballot papers bearing his image in different outfits.

In the original ballot, Barchok was in a yellow tie while in the dubious one he was donning a red tie.

In Kericho, Former Devolution Cabinet Secretary Charles Keter commended the exercise noting that it is by far the 'best nomination ever' further commending supporters for upholding peace in the region.

"I want to thank the party, I think this is the best ever organized nominations exercise since I joined politics," said Keter.