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Matungu by-election

Crime & Investigations

Ex-CS Echesa To Be Treated “As An Armed And Dangerous Criminal”

by Mustafa Juma
written by Mustafa Juma

Former Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa will be treated “as an armed and dangerous criminal” should he fail to surrender to police, Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai has said.

This follows an incident in which Echesa assaulted an IEBC official at Bulonga polling station during the just concluded Matungu Parliamentary by-election.

Police launched a manhunt against Echesa, but the controversial politician has been in hiding until today.

Mutyambai on Friday, March 5 issued an ultimatum to Echesa to surrender to police before 1pm, which has passed without him surrendering.

“The IG has directed Hon. Rashid Echesa who is on the run after assaulting an election official to surrender to the nearest Police Station by 1.00 pm this afternoon otherwise he will be treated as an armed and dangerous criminal,” reads the statement.

Echesa slapped the IEBC officer accusing him of chasing one of their agents out of the polling station during voting.

“Sheria inasema kuwa poll agents must witness the voting!” he was heard shouting as he told off the IEBC agent.

In the not so audible video, the IEBC agent was heard defending himself saying that he was following instructions.

But before he could finish talking, Echesa slapped him.

“You were told by who? Umeambiwa by who? You cannot keep our agents outside. Why are you chasing them outside…. This is stupidity my friend…” Echesa says as he slaps the official.

Okura allegedly stopped one of United Democratic Alliance’s agents from entering the polling venue because he did not have a facemask.

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Politics

Drama In Matungu As Ex-Sports CS Rashid Echesa Slaps An IEBC Official (VIDEO)

by Mustafa Juma
written by Mustafa Juma

There was drama this morning at Bulonga polling station in Matungu Constituency, when former Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa assaulted an IEBC official during the ongoing voting in by-election.

Echesa lost his temper while accusing the electoral agency official of barring the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate Alex Wamukoya Lanya’s agents from witnessing the voting.

The official who was trying to explain himself did not finish his statement after meeting with a slap from Echesa.

In the video that has gone viral, Lanya is seen trying to calm down Echesa.

The contest in Matungu is a battle be between Deputy President William Ruto, ODM leader Raila Odinga and ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi. 

More than 61,000 voters in Matungu have gone to the poll to pick a new MP to replace Justus Makokha Murunga who died in November last year.

The 15 candidates in the race were on Wednesday putting final touches on their logistics for Thursday and deployment of agents.

The candidates are Peter Nabulindo of ANC, David Were of ODM, Alex Lanya (UDA) Charles Kasamani (UDP), Paul Achayo (MDG) and Faida Auma of Maendeleo Chap Chap.

The Independents are Bernard Wakoli, Athman Wangara, Murunga’s widow Christabel Amunga and son Eugene Ambwere, Wilberforce Lutta, Kevin Nectus, Anzelimo Kongoti and Gregory Atoko.

Murunga was sponsored by ANC, but soon after 2017, shifted his allegiance to DP Ruto.

Kanu, Wiper and Ford Kenya are backing the ANC candidate.

Raila will be using the by-election to test whether his influence in the region he has commanded for close to two decades is still intact. 

DP Ruto will be using the poll to gauge the impact of his spirited campaigns in the populous county.

Both ANC and ODM teams have claimed that there are plans to rig the poll by each side.

Mudavadi and Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya who is leading the ODM campaigns have expressed confidence that their candidates will emerge victors.

Security was beefed up in the constituency starting Monday ahead of the vote. Matungu has 116 polling stations spread out in 57 polling centres.

Western regional police commander Peris Kimani said security arrangements were complete to ensure peaceful voting. Returning officer John Kurui said that all was set for voting day.

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Politics

“Go Away!” Drama In Matungu As Angry Crowd Turn Away ‘Ignorant’ Campaigners

by Mustafa Juma
written by Mustafa Juma

The race to replace the late MP Justus Murunga (pictured above) in Matungu is hotting up, with various candidates vying for the vacant seat crisscrossing the constituency ahead of the March 4, 2021, mini polls.

However, some spirants seem not to be ready for the much awaited contest. This has been witnessed through the manner in which some of them are campaigning.

A section of top politicians are just finding it rough to campaign in the upcoming Matungu by-election/

The group, which doesn’t know their candidate’s manifesto ran into trouble when they tried to reprimand rivals at a roadside rally.

The crowd, perhaps tired of politics of insults and mudslinging, shouted them down.

The politicians were caught flat-footed when the crowd demanded to know exactly what their candidate planned for them.

Their speeches were met with boos and chants of “go away”, so they left to find voters who were less demanding.

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Politics

ODM Forced To Clarify On How Former MP Were Was Picked For Matungu By-election

by Mustafa Juma
written by Mustafa Juma

Raila Odinga-led Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has come out to clarify on the creteria that was used to land on former Matungu MP David Aoko Were as their preferred candidate in the upcoming mini polls.

In a statement issued on Wednesday January 6, the Orange party stated that three interested persons namely David Were, Paul Posho and Jeremiah Namunyu visited Chungwa House in December last year and picked nomination forms.

By close of business on the 24th December which was the deadline, ODM says only David Were had returned the forms.

“CLARIFICATION ON MATUNGU: Three interested persons namely Hon. David Were, Mr. Paul Posho & Mr. Jeremiah Namunyu visited Chungwa Hse in Dec. last year & picked forms. By close of biz on the 24th Dec which was the deadline, only David Were returned the forms. The other two did not,”ODM said.

https://twitter.com/TheODMparty/status/1346791443332009986?s=20

ODM settled on David Were as its candidate for the Matungu by-election. 

Were was handed a direct ticket by the Orange party, a move that has not gone down well with rivals who have vowed not to support him in the March 4 mini-poll.

According to ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, the former legislator was awarded the party ticket after meeting set requirements.

In Were, Sifuna said the party had a strong candidate with the capacity to clinch the seat that fell vacant after the death of Justus Murunga on November 14, last year.

He will now face ANC candidate Peter Nabulindo and about 10 independent candidates, including Benard Wakoli who decamped from Ford Kenya after the party leadership withdrew from the race in support of the ANC candidate.

Were served as the MP for Matungu from 2002 to 2017 when he lost to Murunga.

He vied on Jubilee party ticket in 2017, having fallen out with the Orange party leadership.

Paul Achayo, a newcomer, clinched the ODM ticket but performed dismally after a section of voters branded him an ‘outsider’ from neighbouring Butere constituency.

Achayo ditched ODM two weeks ago, accusing the party of resorting to undemocratic tendencies.

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