Lamu Governor Fahim Twaha has asked the IEBC to ensure the August 9 general election is free and fair.
Governor Twaha said credible elections will give confidence to all candidates regardless of whether they win or lose.
“We are asking the officials to try to be free and fair, if someone has defeated us in the right way let him be declared the winner and if we win in a rightful way, we deserve to be declared the winners,” Twaha said.
He spoke after being cleared by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission at the Lamu fort in Lamu Island.
The governor said it was important for the elections to be free and fair, adding that even though Kenya was a free state, sometimes corruption among some officials goes against the will of people.
Twaha said there was need for the IEBC to ensure all its officials are not compromised or biased to enable them play fair during the elections.
He said there have previous incidents where electoral officials had shown open bias towards and against some candidates, which he termed as unfortunate.
He said he will accept an election lost fairly and asked his opponents to be ready for the same.
The governor, who is seeking re-election on the Jubilee Party ticket, also called on Lamu residents and the country at large to conduct peaceful campaigns.
He said there is no need for people to develop hatred against one another but rather focus on choosing leaders with the best policies that are going to transform lives.
“Let all politicians sell their policies and not tribalism, religion, and spreading hatred aimed at dividing people,” he said.
Twaha, who was accompanied by his running mate, said he was glad the people of Lamu have had faith in him since 1997, when he was first elected MP. This will be his sixth election.
“That’s how much the people of Lamu believe in me and my leadership,” he said.
The governor said he would soon unveil his manifesto, which he revealed focusses on bringing more service to the people.
“It’s too early to reveal our manifesto because we don’t want our opponents to steal it. We will unveil it in due time.”
Three candidates seeking to unseat Twaha are former governor Issa Timamy of ANC, Umra Omar of Safina Party and former deputy governor Eric Mugo of Narc Kenya.
-Edited by SKanyara
