No amount of rigging and voter buying could deter our female aspirants from clinching party nominations in Nairobi

Rampant vote-buying, delays, outright disorganisation and low women turn out characterized the November 16th nomination of parliamentary and civic candidates in three constituencies of Nairobi’s eastlands in Nairobi.

Supporters of the three major parties PNU, ODM-K, and ODM in Makadara’s Hamza Lumumba ward, Harambee ward and Kamkunji’s Bahati Ward, Eastleigh North Ward and Starehe’s Mathare Old Ward complained of delays in starting the nomination process and lack of or limited voting material, while women voters complained of harassment and coercion from male counterparts. 

Ms. Sally Andai a voter in Makadara, said many women did not come out to vote as they were threatened by their husbands. “Many have been told by their husbands to vote for particular candidates, and this is not healthy for democracy,” she said. 

In Starehe constituency, there were claims that a cabinet minister had stormed St. Teresa’s Girls Secondary school and confiscated ODM’s voting materials as supporters of Bishop Margaret Wanjiru prepared to vote.

A spot check by ACWICT’s journalists found out that voting started later at 2 pm, where Bishop Wanjiru went ahead to clinch the nomination ticket. By 3 pm voting had not yet commenced at ODM- K’s Summer House polling station in Starehe constituency while other delays were reported at Blessings academy in Makadara where the party was holding its nominations. Ms. Beatrice Musyoka the presiding officer attributed the delay to confusion caused by their competitors who she said had taken every public venue for their own use.

Separately, their were claims that an aspirant in Makadara had relocated a polling station to an area where he enjoyed immense support. Similar claims were reported in Kamkunji where supporters of Catherine Muthoni Kihara of PNU complained of last minute relocation of polling stations in a bid that would favour a male candidate.