Homa Bay,
Saturday April 26, 2024
KNA by Davis Langat
The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party elections on Friday kicked off peacefully in Homa Bay County, but faced a challenge of delayed delivery of voting materials.
The party’s elections board member Halake Dida said that the rains caused the delays of polling materials at some polling stations.
The election was scheduled to start from 9am with the exercise expected to close by 3pm at all polling stations in the county.
Halake who was overseeing the election in Homa Bay County said the affected constituency is Suba South where the officials had to use boats to travel in Lake Victoria to access some polling stations with election materials.This is due to poor road network and rainfall which pounded the county all morning Friday.
“The weather was serious interference in the morning and Suba South constituency has been the worst affected,” he said.
He said they had to extend voting by one hour at polling stations where voting started late.
“The affected polling stations were given a new schedule of starting the election from 10.00 am until 4.00 pm. We want every UDA member to have ample time for voting,” Halake said.
He said there were over 200,000 members of UDA in the county, who were expected cast their votes.
He said they had not experienced any security issues and that adequate security officials were on the ground.
Halake assured all the 14,500 candidates in the area of free and transparent elections.
He told them that the party had formed an elections dispute resolution committee for addressing any grievances which may arise from the election.
He said the results will be declared by returning officers at the polling stations since the officials are elected at the polling station level.Former Rangwe MP Martin Ogindo who is a member of UDA party expressed concerns that a few voters could not find their names in the voters’ registers.
“A few voters who could not find their names in the voters’ registers. we have raised the issue with the National Elections Board to address the issue,” Ogindo said.
Grace Buoga, a voter at Asego Hill was one of those who did not find their names.“I am disappointed because I have not got my name in the register,” Buoga said.
Sally Ogutu, a voter at Homa Bay Primary School in Homa Bay Town Constituency exuded confidence in the digital electoral process.“I am confident that the will of voters will prevail in these elections,” she said.
The elections were being conducted to elect 20 officials who represent various groups.
The officials will serve as delegates in electing officials at the ward, constituency, county and national levels.
Courtesy; KNA
