Confusion in Kajiado MCA ODM primaries as voting kits go off

Voting started normally in the two wards until 11 am when the tablets went off.

by KURGAT MARINDANY

News20 April 2022 - 14:58

In Summary

•Voting started normally in the two wards until 11 am when the tablets were switched off.

•Hundreds of supporters who had lined up to vote at Dr Likimani, Enkasiti and Ereteti primary schools walked away disappointed after 1 pm on Wednesday.

ODM MCA candidate for Kitengela Ward, Lydia Ngaira, trying to call Orange House to find out why her voters could not be allowed to vote. This is after the nominations were called off on Wednesday, April 20, 2022.

Confusion and uncertainty marred the nomination exercises of MCA aspirants in Kitengela and Oloolua wards in Kajiado on Wednesday after their kits were switched off.

Voting started normally in the two wards until 11 am when the tablets meant for MCAs' primaries went off MCAs any explanation to the candidates.

Lydia Ngaira, who was seeking the ODM nomination ticket for the Kitengela ward, frantically made calls to Orange House to complain about the hitch but got no answer.

Hundreds of supporters who had lined up to vote at Dr Likimani, Enkasiti and Ereteti primary schools walked away disappointed after 1 pm on Wednesday.

The voters walked away with anger and claimed their candidate was denied the right to be nominated because a certain candidate was being fronted for the position.

Ngaira refused to comment on the matter but advised her voters to leave the polling stations as she prepares for the next option ahead of the August 9 general election.

On Tuesday night, ODM’s national election board chairperson Catherine Muma issued a statement that said that nomination for Kajiado East and Kajiado North MPs along with those of MCAs for Olkeri and Ongata Rongai wards would take place on Wednesday.

Muma did not explain why she had cancelled the nomination exercise for MCAs in Kitengela and Oloolua wards.

We made several efforts to contact Muma on the phone but she could not pick any.

Kajiado ODM county chairman Innocent Nemam later called the Star to state that Paul Matuyia, Kitengela MCA, and Eli Gor, an aspirant for Oloolua ward, would be issued direct nomination tickets at 3 pm at Bomas of Kenya on Wednesday.

Nemama said everyone, including the other aspirants, had been informed of the new development.

Ngaira denied having received any communication from the party’s NEB on the same.

Meanwhile, the ODM parliamentary aspirants in Kajiado East, Kakuta Maimai, Douglas Okello, and Koin Lompo were happy with the exercise in the three designated polling stations of Dr Likimani, Ereteti, and Enkasiti primary schools.

Each of them was exuding confidence in winning the nominations.

“I am confident that I will be the flag bearer in this coming election,” said Maimai.

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