Candidates in Kiambu have raised concerns over the low voter turnout witnessed in most areas.
They said most youth did not cast their vote.
The candidates were led by governor contestants Patrick Wainaina alias Wajungle (independent) and former Kiambu governor William Kabogo.
Wainaina said the voter apathy is disheartening.
He spoke after casting his vote at Kiboko Primary School in Thika town on Tuesday.
“For instance here in Thika the turnout is about 40 per cent even though we were expecting it to be more than 70 per cent,” Wainaina said.
He said the long queues witnessed during the 2017 general election are nowhere to be seen.
"We are urging our people to use the remaining time to turn out at their respective polling stations and vote for leaders of their choice,” Wainaina said.
The candidate however cautioned those shunning their civic duty that they will be crying foul of poor leadership should they fail to exercise their democratic right.
“Bad leaders will get to offices if you fail to cast your votes for the right leaders and you will suffer for the next five years,” he said.
Wainaina’s sentiments were echoed by Kabogo who spoke after casting his vote at St Georges Primary school in Ruiru town.
He too wondered where the huge multitudes that attended campaign rallies were, during the actual voting exercise.
“We are telling our people to come out of their homes, businesses or places of work and vote for their leaders. We don’t want them to lament afterwards that the leaders they didn’t want took offices,” Kabogo said.
MPs Simon King’ara (Ruiru) and Wanjiku Kibe (Gatundu North) also urged residents to turn up in numbers and vote for their leaders.
King’ara who is defending his seat on a UDA ticket said Ruiru, despite being the most populous constituency with 172,088 voters, had relatively low turnout.
“Turnout is very low this time unlike in 2017, where long queues were witnessed especially in this region. I wonder what our people fear.
"I can assure them that security is well taken care of and that the IEBC officers are working swiftly. Please come out and vote,” he said.
A spot check by the star in various polling stations revealed very low voter turnout.
At Ruiru CDF hall, a new polling station with more than 250 registered voters, no voter was at the station.
However, IEBC officers at the station confirmed that a few people had already cast their ballots.
At St Georges Primary School, which is one of the polling stations with the highest number of voters in the constituency, only a few people were in the queues.
The same was witnessed at Muthiga Primary School polling station in Gatundu North.
The candidates also raised alarm over rampant voter bribery especially in Thika and Gatundu North.
Wainaina said he had reported numerous incidences of voter bribery especially in his strongholds.
He urged the security personnel to stem the vice as it amounts to election malpractice.
His Gatundu North counterpart Anne Wanjiku Kibe also claimed individuals were bribing voters in areas of Kamwangi and Wandui via mobile money transfer.
She however accused her competitors of being behind the vice.
“We have raised the matter with the relevant authorities and we hope they will act swiftly to stop the illegalities,” Wanjiku said.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)
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