Former KNUT Secretary General Wilson Sossion, who is running for Bomet Senator on the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket, is one of the hopefuls seeking the postponement of party primaries in the area.
The aspirant alleged rigging barely hours after the exercise began on Thursday morning at Tenwek High School.
Sossion claimed the allegations cited would jeopardize the primaries’ integrity.
“This sad event occurred at midnight and I reported to the Silipwet police station, and I confirm that police were able to impound ballot papers and ballot papers that were being transported to an unknown and insecure destination,” Sossion said.
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They were able to enter insecure vote boxes and marked ballot papers in Tenwek, said Sossion, raising doubts about the region’s party primaries’ authenticity.
“Indeed, there have been many reports of insecure ballot papers, and when we got here, to Tenwek, it was very unfortunate; even the ballot papers and boxes were not secure at all, we were able to access papers that were marked,” he added.
He also asserted that marked ballots were discovered in several voting stations and police from Silibwet had impounded ballot boxes that were being moved to an unknown location.
“The police were able to impound ballot papers and boxes that were being transported to unknown and insecure destinations. We have accessed ballot papers that are marked.”
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Other area leaders accused the Chief Returning Officer of leading a shady election procedure.
“The POs had the ballot papers in their houses,” said Agnes Ng’eno, an aspiring MP in the Bomet Central constituency, “And right now the returning officer is telling us that those were not genuine papers.”
The hopefuls issued an ultimatum to the party’s National Executive Board, urging that the problem be resolved as soon as possible so that a democratic process may take place.
“There is nothing wrong in suspending the exercise for a few hours, a day or a week if necessary. It has been done before. Consult the party and give us an acceptable position now,” Sossion continued.
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Elsewhere in Embu, the exercise is ongoing even after chaotic scenes were witnessed on Wednesday evening.
As a result, three area politicians have been summoned by the party disciplinary committee.
Margaret Lorna Kariuki (Nominated Member of County Assembly), John Muchiri Nyaga (Manyatta MP) and Norman Nyaga (UDA politician) are set to appear on Saturday.
“The disciplinary committee hereby summons you to appear before it on Saturday, April 16 at 9:00 am for the hearing of the matter at the Hustlers Centre on Makindi Road off Riara Road in Nairobi,” read the statement.
The three were warned that if the claims were found to be true, they would be banned from running for office and face suspension or expulsion from the party.
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