Emurua Dikirr rivals arrive at tallying centre as final vote count begins

The two main contenders in the highly contested Emurua Dikirr parliamentary by-election have arrived at the Emurua Dikirr Technical Training Institute tallying centre as the final vote counting exercise officially commenced Thursday evening.

United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate David Keter, popularly known as Dollarline, and his Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) rival Vincent Kibet Rotich arrived at the constituency tallying centre in a jovial mood, exchanging handshakes and brief conversations despite the fierce political rivalry that dominated the campaign period.

The two candidates were accompanied by their party agents and close political allies as security officers tightened surveillance around the tallying centre to maintain peace and order during the crucial exercise.

Also in arrival are Desma Cherono of PNU and Kenneth Kiprono of RLP.

A calm atmosphere was witnessed at the venue as election officials from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) began receiving and verifying results from the 94 polling stations spread across the constituency.

The official tallying process was formally opened by Constituency Returning Officer Caleb Gikonde through the singing of the national anthem followed by a word of prayer before the announcement of results from the first few polling stations started.

Supporters from both political camps gathered outside the tallying centre anxiously waiting for updates as tension and anticipation continued to build over the outcome of the mini-poll that has attracted national political attention.

The by-election has largely been viewed as a political showdown between the ruling UDA party and the fast-rising DCP party, with leaders from both sides heavily investing in campaigns over the last few weeks.

Earlier in the day, voting was conducted peacefully in most polling stations across the constituency, although isolated incidents were reported in a few areas.

The final results are expected to be announced later tonight once all polling station results are received, verified and tallied by IEBC officials at the constituency tallying centre.