Confusion marked the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) primaries in Busia County with voting in many of the polling centres delayed for four hours. Voting at Kakapel and Rwatama polling stations in Angurai South Wards was stopped after claims of interference by some candidates. Riot police were called to contain the situation in the two centres.
The sub-branch treasurer David Otini and Angurai South Ward chairman Joseph Okware were beaten by goons for unknown reasons, and they recorded statements at Malaba Police Station.
Deputy Speaker Moses Ote and her challenger Grace Omasete are pointing accusing fingers at each other for the ensuing confusion. One of the MP aspirants was also alleged to have caused confusion at Kekalet polling station.
At Township Primary School, Busia Governor Sospeter Ojaamong cast his vote at around 10.30am and the Presiding officer had to apologize to the voters. “It is regrettable that the party primaries across the County started four hours late. I was the fifth person to vote. With this scenario, it is my appeal to the party headquarters to extend the voting time by at least four hours. The delay was not our wish but it was occasioned by confusion from the party despite facilitation from party members and well-wishers to have the materials transported,” he said.
Ojaamong said the confusion has dampened the spirits of many voters. “The mix up in names on the ballot papers has also done the exercise more harm than good,” he said.
The names of parliamentary aspirants were missing and instead, those for Teso North appeared on the ballot. Presiding officer Justine Owire corrected the anomaly by replacing the names with Jeff Osiba and Geoffrey Omuse.
The names of an MP aspirant Shem Papa who had defected to Amani National Congress had his name appearing on the list while the name of aspirant George Okwara was missing.
In Nambale, St. Mary’s DEB Nambale had been gazette as the official polling centre but in a twist of events, it was shifted to Nambale polytechnic.
The standoff lasted for three hours before the matter was resolved and the exercise started at 9 am at Nambale Polytechnic.
In Bunyala, ODM MP aspirant Andrew Nakitare said the delay in voting had an effect on voter turnout. He said they had also agreed to use the IEBC register after some names went missing in the ODM register.
In Butula, the exercise was going on smoothly but there were claims that some candidates were bribing voters.