• Kakamega county returning officer Joseph Ayata said his office had received complaints about candidates from both sides of the political divide meeting presiding officers.
• However, he said the presiding officers who conducted the August 9 election in the county may not conduct the Monday election.
Image: HILTON OTENYO
Kakamega governor candidate Cleophas Malala has claimed some IEBC officials were holding secret meetings with Azimio campaigners to rig Monday's election in favour of Fernandes Barasa.
Malala is in Kenya Kwanza while Barasa is in Azimio.
Malala on Wednesday told journalists that Azimio lead campaigner in Western and Kakamega, Governor Wycliffe Oparanya, has been holding night meetings with some presiding officers to discuss manipulation of votes.
“We have credible information that the outgoing governor even plans to use county enforcement officers as agents. He has even reached out to community administrators but most have called me and said they declined the offer from Azimio. This amounts to misuse of public resources,” he said.
Oparanya has denied the accusations by Malala, saying he is not a candidate in the Kakamega race.
"Why does Malala always drag my name into his issues? Let him focus on his opponents and leave me alone," he said.
Oparanya said he does not even know the presiding officers at a personal level and has never met them because he is not seeking any seat.
Kakamega county returning officer Joseph Ayata said his office had received complaints about candidates from both sides of the political divide meeting presiding officers.
However, he said the presiding officers who conducted the August 9 election in the county may not conduct the Monday election.
“They are wasting time meeting the officials. We are looking for a better way of dealing with the complaints,” he said.
Ayata said the complaints of some candidates’ camaraderie with IEBC officials were discussed during a meeting in Nairobi that set the election date after cancellation.
The governor elections were cancelled in Kakamega and Mombasa on August 8 following reported anomalies in ballot papers. The polls are set for Monday.
Other candidates in the Kakamega race include Cyrus Jirongo (UDP), Samuel Omukoko (MDP), Suleiman Sumba (Kanu), Michael Osundwa (independent) and Optiso Otieno (independent).
Yesterday, Malala asked his supporters not to fear election rigging.
“There are those who are afraid that our victory may be stolen but I want to assure them that our votes will be secure. They just need to turn out and vote and ignore the fear being sold by our opponents,” he said.
Edited by A.N