Kenya election boycott: 40 Mombasa agents leave Jubilee hanging

Tourism CS Najib Balala after casting his vote in Mombasa on October 26, 2017. /ERNEST CORNEL
Tourism CS Najib Balala after casting his vote in Mombasa on October 26, 2017. /ERNEST CORNEL

More than 40 Jubilee Party agents in Mombasa have copped out forcing

Tourism CS Najib Balala to dismiss them as cowards and fraudsters.

Balala demanded the arrest of the agents who cannot be found amid reports they

fear for their lives.

He said they had received allowances for the second round of the presidential election, whose main candidates were incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta and NASA leader Raila Odinga.

"These agents are from Mvita and Kisauni. We are going to take legal action against them," the minister said on Thursday, noting Jubilee has been let down.

"If anyone will dare abscond, he will be summoned," he threatened but noted

their operations were not affected.

Jubilee Party had employed 938 poll officials in the county whose support for the Opposition leader is unwavering.

The Governor is Hassan Joho, who is deputy leader of Raila's Orange Democratic Movement.

The Cabinet Secretary

warned that the more agents boycott, the tougher the electoral process and democracy, by extension.

He acknowledged

NASA has managed to instill fear, causing low voter turnout during early hours.

"There are a lot of uncertainties... NASA is best at propaganda," Balala said.

But he was optimistic about change in the numbers as the day progressed.

Balala said Mombasa has three hot spots and that the election has become ethnic.

"There are clashes and disruption where members of the Luo community are," the CS said.

Majority of Mombasa voters have heeded Raila's 'no election' call.

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