ODM denies UDF claims of voter bribery in Bukura

The ODM has denied claims that it bribed voters in Monday's Bukura ward civic by-elections. A lobby group, Friends of Raila, yesterday told UDF to concede defeat "instead of generating excuses".

“ODM did not have money to bribe voters. If indeed there were bribes, then UDF would be guilty because it had the established candidate in the by-election,” said Alex Mukabwa, the group's national programme co-ordinator . Kakamega ODM chairman David Malala challenged UDF to provide evidence that voter bribery took place.

Shinyalu MP Justus Kizito had on Wednesday claimed UDF lost the election because of electoral malpractices by ODM. He accused ODM of "openly dishing out money to voters as police stood guard" in the by-election which was won by Reuben Nyangweso. Yesterday, Immigration minister Otieno Kajwang’ joined his planning counterpart Wycliffe Oparanya in celebrating ODM’s victory in Bukura.

The two ministers traversed the county from Navakholo to Butere and Khwisero celebrating Nyangweso triumh. In Butere, Kajwang’ said the results of the by-election should not be dismissed as they depicted what is likely to happen in the forthcoming general election. “The by-election indicated how popular UDF and ODM are in Western," said Kajwang’.

Oparanya said the victory "has shown that people want ideologies and not propaganda”. Yesterday, UDF's Lugari parliamentary aspirant Charles Werangai said the party lost the election because it had a wrong candidate. He however said the elections should not be used to gauge the popularity of parties because communities vote for their tribesmen and women. He said that the defeat is an eye opener for the party to correct mistakes ahead of the next general elections.