Mbeere north: The Devolution Empowerment Party (DEP), popularly known as the Bus Party, has called on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to ensure it conducts free, fair, and transparent elections in the upcoming by-elections in Mbeere North Constituency.
According to Kenya News Agency, the by-elections to be held on February 26 in Muminji and Evurore Wards were necessitated by the resignation of MCAs Newton Karish and Duncan Mbui, who stepped down to contest for the parliamentary by-election held in November last year, but were unsuccessful.
The call emanates from the contentious by-election held last year, which the opposition dismissed as ‘shambolic,’ raising concerns over IEBC’s ability to conduct credible elections. DEP Leader Lenny Kivuti noted that the mini-poll held last year cast doubt on the electoral body’s independence in managing elections, claiming the by-election was marred by cases of rigging, voter bribery, and government interference.
‘Despite all these allegations, the IEBC went ahead to declare that the by-elections held last year in Mbeere North and other parts of the country were free, fair, and transparent,’ Kivuti stated. Speaking on Monday at his Kanyuambora Home when he received defectors from other parties who had joined the Bus, Kivuti mounted pressure on IEBC to carry out a stricter exercise to avoid a repeat of the irregularities of last year’s polls.
He expressed confidence that the Bus Party will recapture the Muminji seat, previously held by Karish, through its candidate Boniface Kariuki, who will be facing off with United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate Peterson Njeru, among others. In the neighboring Evurore Ward, the opposition has fielded former MCA Albert Kigoro on a Democratic Party (DP) ticket, who will contend with, among others, UDA’s Duncan Muratia.
The political landscape has been intense for the last few weeks as the opposition makes efforts to recover from the loss of the parliamentary seat in the upcoming ward by-elections.
