- In Malindi constituency, the nominations had earlier been slated for three wards, including Shella, Malindi town and Ganda.
- The same delay was experienced in Maziwani where the kits could not open as the clerks said there was a problem with the network.
There were chaos, confusion and delays in Malindi during the ODM nominations held in Malindi on Friday.
Trouble began after some ODM members turned out early morning to cast their votes for their favourite candidates only to find polling stations in most of the three wards closed.
There were no kits, clerks, or agents to attend to them.
In Malindi constituency, the nominations had earlier been slated for three wards, including Shella, Malindi town and Ganda.
However, it emerged in the morning that there would be no nominations in Shella ward leading to protests from aspirants and their supporters who had turned out to vote.
Later there was chaos after it merged that some clerks were allegedly on the side of some aspirants.
Twahir Abdulkarim, an aspirant of Shella ward who had mobilised a group of his supporters to come at the Sir Ali Primary school polling station, was shocked after he found out that there were no clerks, security, or elections kits.
It later emerged that ODM National Elections Board resolved that all sitting MCAs defending their seats in the party would not be subjected to nominations.
Abdulkarim said the move was wrong because people had prepared for nominations and questioned why the board could not communicate on time if there were changes.
Nominations at the HGM Primary School started at 8:30am, and went on smoothly, with ODM members taking less than two minutes to cast their vote which was being done electronically.
Emmanuel Nzai, one of the aspirants of Malindi town ward who voted at the HGM Primary polling station, said most polling stations opened late though people woke up early to vote for their favourite candidates.
He however called for calm and urged his supporters to continue turning out in large numbers to vote.
The same delay was experienced in Maziwani where the kits could not open as the clerks said there was a problem with the network.
At Kwaupanga Primary School chaos erupted after some ODM supporters of one aspirant accused a clerk of being a supporter of one of their rival candidates.
The clerk was forced to go out of the polling station as the angry youths said no voting would proceed in his presence.
They accused him of being behind a scheme to vote for his candidate.
Oscar Wanje, an aspirant from Ganda ward, said those who were causing disruptions and chaos were the aspirants who were not prepared and asked his supporters not to be cowed and continue voting.
Wanje said the primaries were being done transparently, despite the small hitches and said he would accept the results.
Joseph Kiponda alias Josepe said he had received reports that some clerks were allied to his rival and asked the ODM party to intervene to ensure the results announced are genuine.
(edited by Amol Awuor)