Malava: Voting commenced peacefully in the Malava Constituency by-election in Kakamega County as polling stations opened at 6am across the constituency. Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) officials reported that the Kenya Integrated Management Electronic System (KIMS) kits were functioning smoothly without any challenges.
According to Kenya News Agency, a spot check revealed a reasonably high voter turnout in the early morning hours. However, the number of voters began to dwindle from 10am, with IEBC officials anticipating a surge in voter numbers later in the afternoon. At Kakoyi Primary School polling station, Presiding Officer Julie Otieno confirmed the efficient operation of the biometric voter identification system, noting a few exceptions where voters were identified using their identification cards or facial recognition.
Presiding Officer Maureen Odhiambo at Tande Primary School reported that by 9am, 112 out of 654 registered voters had cast their ballots, with expectations for increased turnout later in the day. Meanwhile, Duncan Soita, Presiding Officer at Matsakha polling station, indicated that by 9.55 am, 107 out of 546 voters had voted without any significant challenges.
IEBC officials encountered some individuals who realized they were registered to vote in Nairobi rather than Malava. Kelvin Chisindani, Presiding Officer at Namanja Primary School, advised these individuals to update their polling stations during the ongoing voter registration. By midday at Namanja Primary School, 149 out of 594 registered voters had cast their votes.
Despite a peaceful voting day with police presence, a clash between rival groups occurred last night in the neighboring Lugari constituency, resulting in injuries and property damage. According to Malava Constituency Returning Officer Salim Abdalla, the constituency has 94,000 registered voters and 198 polling stations. Nine candidates were cleared to contest, although Edgar Busiega and Joab Manyasi withdrew late to support other candidates. Their names, however, remained on the printed ballot papers.
The Returning Officer reported that no major incidents had been reported by midday, and voting was proceeding well.
