- The assistant chief said the youths claimed that his presence in the vicinity would influence voters to vote in support of their candidate’s rival.
- The confrontation caused confusion in the polling station, attracting several youths who descended on the chief.
Voters who had braved the chilly morning at Bar Ndege polling station in Ugenya were on Tuesday morning forced to scamper for safety after gunshots rent the air shortly after the station opened for voting.
According to eye witnesses, security personnel manning the polling station were forced to shoot in the air to save the area assistant chief from agents of a parliamentary aspirant who demanded that the administrator leaves the venue.
The assistant chief of Kathieno “B” sublocation in East Ugenya ward Joash Ogola was the first in the queue and had just cast his vote when the incident happened.
Ogola said he had just cast his vote shortly after 6am when four people, among them a brother to the politician, confronted and started shoving him to leave the venue immediately.
The assistant chief said the youths claimed that his presence in the vicinity would influence voters to vote in support of their candidate’s rival.
The confrontation caused confusion in the polling station, attracting several youths who descended on the chief and attempts by the policemen to bring calm failed, forcing them to shoot in the air.
Chief Ogola who was whisked to safety, said he suffered injuries on his right leg.
Ugenya Subcounty police commander Benard Wamugunda said police have launched investigations.
Wamugunda assured residents of maximum security, adding that action would be taken against anybody involved in the incident.
The incident comes in the wake of another where a vehicle with machetes and clubs was impounded by the police at Siranga trading centre in Ugenya constituency shortly after supporters of two rival parliamentary candidates engaged in a fight that left several people with injuries.
Meanwhile, voting started smoothly in Siaya county, with the stations opening at 6am.
Though the exercise was flowing, a few voters lamented over the slow pace of identifying the voters and called for use of the manual register to hasten the process.
Long queues were recorded in most of the polling centres in the morning hours and business premises in Siaya town remained closed as the residents thronged the voting centre to elect their leaders.
The streets in the town were deserted, save for a few people who were moving to or from the voting centres.
-Edited by SKanyara