- Chaos and confusion marred the ODM primaries for MCA aspirants in Mombasa on Saturday over allegations of voter importation and systems breakdown.
- By Monday morning, NEB had received complaints from aspirants in Mtopanga, Kadzandani, Kongowea, and Likoni wards.
Image: ONYANGO OCHIENG
The ODM national elections board has confirmed that results from five wards in Mombasa were disputed after aspirants filed complaints.
On Saturday, ODM conducted nominations in all 30 wards in the six constituencies of Kisauni, Nyali, Likoni, Changamwe, Jomvu, and Mvita.
ODM had opted to carry out nominations for the Member of County Assembly aspirants only in Mombasa and Kilifi.
The election board said the tickets for governor, senate, and MP positions would be given out through consensus.
Chaos and confusion marred the primaries over allegations of voter importation and systems breakdown.
On Monday morning, Richard Tairo, an NEB commissioner who was in Mombasa to oversee the entire process, said that the exercise was “generally peaceful except for a few reported incidents.”
"We are happy with the process, the exercise went on peacefully except for a few areas that we managed to resolve," he said.
According to Tairo, no major violence incidents were reported except for the late opening of the polling centres.
However, he said by Monday morning they had received complaints from aspirants in Mtopanga, Kadzandani, Kongowea and Likoni wards.
More complaints are expected to be lodged in the course of the week.
"So far we have received about five official complaints from five wards, out of the 30 wards in Mombasa,” Tairo said.
He said that those feeling aggrieved should fill out complaint forms and submit them to the party's election tribunal, attached with copies of evidence.
"Aggrieved candidates can send their complaints to the party's election tribunal.We have a legal team ready to listen and resolve the matters raised," said Tairo.
On Friday, the ODM election board held a meeting with the aspirants to discuss the primaries.
Tairo said during the meeting he pushed for consensus, but since the aspirants could not agree, they had to go to nominations.
"We tried to push for consensus even on the last day, but they failed to agree. So we had no option but go the universal suffrage way," he said.
According to the resolutions passed during the party’s National Governing Council and the National Delegates Conference in February, consensus, delegates, direct nomination or universal suffrage were going to be used to pick candidates.
The party also opted to go paperless by using a digital platform to vote for aspirants.
Tairo defended the method saying that it was fast and more efficient.
A spot check by the Star on Saturday confirmed that there were no long queues in most of the polling centres.
Questions however arose concerning multiple voting, since there was no way of physically identifying if one had already voted.
"The system was programmed in a way that once you keyed in your ID number and voted, you couldn’t vote again," Tairo said.
"Unfortunately, some candidates thought that people could vote multiple times.It was a futile exercise for those who engaged in it."
The official list of all the aspirants in the 30 wards is yet to be released.
On Saturday, a section of Mombasa leaders urged the orange party to consider universal suffrage for all the aspirants who wish to get the party ticket.
Mombasa businessman Suleiman Shahbal, who is battling for the ODM ticket with Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir, said the Mombasa residents should be given an opportunity to vote.
“I do not know why we cannot have nominations for the rank of governor and senator. Nominations have been very peaceful, save for a few hitches on technicalities," Shabhal said.
"Mombasa residents have conducted themselves in an orderly manner, therefore we should also have primaries for governor and senator seats.”
He said if nominations were held in Mombasa, he will win.
Hisham Mwidau, who is eyeing the senate seat on an ODM ticket, said few individuals in Nairobi should not be allowed to make decisions on behalf of Mombasa residents.
“It does not make any sense for a few people to decide for 225,000 ODM members in Mombasa," he said.
"They want to handpick ODM candidates. This is not democracy. We want our people to be allowed to vote.”
Mwidau said the Nairobi office does not understand the voting dynamics in Mombasa.
(Edited by Francis Wadegu)
Image: ONYANGO OCHIENG