Former Speaker Justin Mutiri casts his vote at Mbeere North/SCREENGRABMuturi arrived at the polling station shortly at around 6am and proceeded to the ballot box shortly after addressing the media.
Speaking moments before voting, he said he had been monitoring the situation across several polling centres since 6am and expressed satisfaction with the smooth opening of the exercise.
“I have been making follow-ups from various stations, and so far the reports I have received show the process has started smoothly and there are no hiccups,” Muturi said.
“In some places, I have very interesting stories of young men and girls walking to polling centres saying, ‘whatever it is, we must cast our ballots.’ For me, it is encouraging. I have no cause to complain; so far, so good.”
Mbeere North is among the constituencies facing hotly contested by-elections, with political parties keenly eyeing turnout and early momentum.
Muturi noted that the DP candidate was expected to cast his vote at Karambari Primary School, while United Opposition candidate Newton Karish, who is vying under the Democratic Party banner, was also scheduled to vote early.
The former Speaker said that within the first hour of voting, no incidents had been reported across the constituency, adding that the calm atmosphere was a positive sign for the rest of the day.
He expressed optimism that the peaceful trend would hold until the close of polling.
Muturi also backed the security measures put in place, including roadblocks on major routes leading to polling centres. He said such steps were necessary to ensure outsiders did not interfere with the electoral process.
“I think it’s a good thing because if police are serious, they will pick out any bad elements coming from other counties to disturb the process,” he said.
He further dismissed allegations by sections of the opposition that there were plans to ferry goons to intimidate voters, calling the claims unfounded and aimed at stirring unnecessary tension.
Elsewhere, Malava MP aspirant Seth Panyako also cast his vote early in the morning.
Several key United Opposition leaders had completed voting before 7.30am, taking advantage of the early opening of polling stations.
Across various constituencies, polling stations opened at exactly 6am, with voters braving the chilly morning weather to exercise their democratic right.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) announced that polling would close at 5pm, with any lost time during the day to be compensated at closing. Voters still in the queue at 5pm will be allowed to cast their ballots.
By mid-morning, long but orderly queues were reported in several centres, as residents turned out in significant numbers to choose their next representatives. Security officers maintained a visible but presence, with no major disruptions reported.
Muturi urged voters to remain calm and patient throughout the day, adding that peaceful participation was essential to safeguarding the integrity of the electoral process.
“As long as people commit to voting peacefully, the process will take its course without any issues,” he said.
