Stanley Kenga after voting at Kanagoni./CHARLES MGHENYI
A section of elected leaders from outside Magarini Constituency in Kilifi were on Thursday accused of attempting to create tension during the by-election.
Although most polling stations opened on time, voter turnout remained low across the constituency, which has more than 80,000 registered voters.
Kilifi South MP Ken Chonga, who was acting as a super-agent on behalf of ODM candidate Harrison Kombe, was chased away from Kanagoni Polling Station by angry supporters of the Democratic Congress Party (DCP).
The station is a stronghold of DCP candidate Stanley Kenga, who also casts his vote there.
Chonga was allegedly suspected by residents of attempting to bribe voters.
Trouble reportedly began when the MP arrived with aides and started making phone calls, raising suspicion among locals.
Supporters allied to Kenga confronted him and ordered him to leave the premises.
After casting his vote, Kenga condemned leaders “moving from one station to another trying to intimidate voters.”
“We are witnessing leaders from outside Magarini trying to sell fear to the people to stop them from voting. Anyone who is not a resident should give locals space and time to participate in this noble exercise,” he said.
Suleiman Rumba, a resident of Msumarini, accused Chonga of moving from one polling station to another intimidating voters and allegedly bribing some.
“We are surprised to see the Kilifi South MP moving around trying to intimidate voters. We want to tell him that we have decided. We will not be cowed or compromised, and we will come out in large numbers to vote,” Rumba said.
Rights activist Walid Sketty of Vocal Africa said the situation needed urgent attention to prevent escalation.
“As observers, we have witnessed issues that are not pleasing. The polls started on time, but insecurity is a concern,” he said,
He added that political leaders were being accused of attempting to spark chaos.
“Leaders are moving from one polling station to another, and that is raising tension.”
He also warned aspirants against interacting with voters.
“Leaders are not allowed to meet and greet voters. Kombe tried to talk to people and Kenga did the same. Talking or attempting to convince voters is not allowed,” he said.
Another activist, Victor Kaulo, said they had witnessed isolated cases of chaos.
“Leaders should allow voters to exercise their rights. They should completely refrain from coming to polling stations,” he said.
Kenga, a seasoned politician, previously served as a councillor in the defunct Kilifi County Council and later as Adu Ward MCA for two terms, rising to Deputy Speaker between 2017 and 2022.
He narrowly lost the 2022 Magarini parliamentary race to Kombe by just 21 votes before successfully challenging the results in court.
In 2023, the Supreme Court upheld the nullification of Kombe’s victory, paving the way for Thursday’s by-election.
Kombe, a former teacher, is a political heavyweight who has held the Magarini MP seat for three terms in a career marked by alternating wins and losses.
He lost the seat in 2007 to Amason Kingi, reclaimed it in 2013, lost it again in 2017, and bounced back in 2022.
INSTANT ANALYSIS
The incidents in Magarini underscore the growing fragility of local electoral environments, where external political actors often shape the tone of campaigns and voting day activities.
