Written By Ramadhan Kambi 📝
Nomination exercise in Kilifi County was marred with several complaints and challenges.
There were chaos, confusion and delays in Malindi during the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) nominations held in Malindi on Friday.
It all began after some ODM members turned out early morning to votes for their favorite candidates when they found polling stations in most of the three wards had not been opened, with no kits, clerks, or agents to attend to them.
In Malindi constituency, the Nominations had earlier been slated for three wards including Shella, Malindi town, and Ganda.
However, it emerged in the morning that there would be no nomination in Shella ward leading to protests from aspirants and their supporters who had turned out to vote.
In The other two wards, there were delays with some polling stations not beginning the exercise as per the stipulated time.
Moments later there was chaos after it merged that some clerks were belonging to aspirants which would likely compromise the exercise.
Twahir Abdulkarim an aspirant of Shella ward who had mobilized a group of his supporters to come at the Sir Ali Primary school polling station got a rue shock after he found out that there were no clerks, security, or elections kitty.
Speaking to the press outside the station he wondered why there were no signs 0of any nominations in all the polling stations and called on the ODM party to come clear on the matter.
It however emerged later that ODM National Elections Board resolved that all sitting MCAs defending their seats in the party would not be subjected to nominations.
A disgruntled Abdulkarim said the move was wrong because people had prepared for nominations and questioned why the board could not communicate on time if there were changes.
Interesting by early morning all polling stations except those of Shella ward had security which sent a signal that there would be no nomination but still supporters of the aspirant came in large numbers only to be disappointed.
“We are opposed to the plan to issue a direct nomination in Shella Ward we prepared and mobilized our supporters to turn out in large numbers and vote now there is nothing happening, no kits, no clerks this is really wrong and unacceptable,” he said.
At Barani there were delays but later the exercise kicked off only later for chaos to begin over alleged reports that the clerk belonged to an aspirant.
Voters at HGM primary kicked off from about 8.30 and went on smoothly with ODM members taking less than two minutes to cast their vote which was being done electronically.
Emmanuel Nzai one of the aspirants of Malindi town ward who voted at the HGM primary school polling station said most polling stations opened late though people woke up early to vote for their favorite candidates.
He however called for calm and urged his supporters to continue turning out in large numbers to vote so as to ensure victory prevails upon him.
The same delay was experienced in Maziwani where the kits could not open as the clerks said there was a problem with the network.
At Kwaupanga primary school chaos erupted after some ODM supporters of one aspirant accused a clerk of being a supporter of one of their rival candidates.
The clerk was forced to go out of the polling station as the angry youths said no voting would proceed in his presence, they accused him of being behind a scheme to vote for his candidate.
The Clerk was assisting the official from ODM headquarters who was overseeing the voting prompting her to come and address the crowd.
Drama however unfolded during her address when she was interrupted by Justin Rafiki an aspirant who claimed there were plans to rig the nominations and questioned the credibility of the officials.
The two engaged in a heated debate arguing over the manner in which the primaries were being conducted and after about 20 minutes normalcy resumed and people went on voting.
Oscar Wanje an aspirant from Ganda ward said those who were causing disruptions and chaos were the aspirants who were not prepared and asked his supporters not to be cowed and continue voting.
Wanje said the primaries were being done transparently despite the small hitches and said he would accept the results.
Joseph Kiponda alias Josepe said he had received reports that some clerks were allied to his rival and asked the ODM party to intervene to ensure the results announced are genuine.
