UDA nominations started on a false note in most polling stations across the country with members raising concerns over security and the delay of ballots.
In Bomet Central Constituency, the credibility of the process was questioned by some aspirants after the Chief returning Officer allowed the transportation of ballot papers to polling stations without police escort.
The officer has further been accused of not providing sufficient transport forcing polling officers to use alternative means including boda bodas.
"Vigilant voters stopped some of the cars transporting the ballots, leading to widespread claims that some of the papers had been premarked," said Charles Kerich, a hopeful eyeing the UDA ticket for the Bomet Central Constituency.
According to Kerich, the safety and overall credibility of the primaries in the area have been questioned after some of the polling materials at a primary school were destroyed by supporters of an aspirant.
"One of the aspirants, accompanied supporters, accessed Tenwek High School. It was at this juncture that polling materials were destroyed and strewn on the road," Kerich said.
He, however, exuded confidence that the process will be free and fair despite the hiccups that dominated the exercise in the early hours of Thursday.
He said by 10 am, voting had started in more than 80 per cent of the polling stations.
"According to our agents, and apart from the early morning incident, we are expecting a satisfactory polling process with credible and verifiable results," Kerich said.
Elsewhere in Nandi County, aspirants and their supporters were up in arms with organizers of the nomination exercise over the crowding at the station.
They said it was impractical to expect the process to go on smoothly with one polling station expected to serve 7,000 voters.
