Ikinu Civic Ward By-Elections

                 

Civic ward By-election has been plagued by a low record of voter turn out in Ikinu ward By- elections, Githunguri Constituency, Kiambu County Mr. Antony Njiraini,  the returning officer has revealed.

According to one of the deputy presiding officers Mr. Stanley Thuo, approximately two out of ten voters were youths in the Ikinu primary school polling station. This, he said majorly was as a result of lack of voters cards amongst most voters but especially the youth. Mr Thuo noted that some of the youth had lost their voters cards or had failed to renew them thus rendering the voters cards invalid for the election exercise.

Speaking to KNA,  an Orange Democratic Movement party (ODM) aspirant for Ikinu ward, Mr. Antony Kang’ethe Warihiu aged 29,  said that there had been allegations of voters bribery in the area and that could have led to many youths falling for the trap. Mr kang’ethe said that the voters cards had cost ksh. 100 each. He added that Githunguri Constituency which is situated in Kiambu County is much affiliated to The National Alliance party and he claimed that the TNA party might have participated in the voters bribery.

A human rights activist in the Kiambu County, Mr. Kariuki Karogo also reiterated that the allegations concerning voters bribery could have been a confirmation of low literacy levels in the constituency and especially among the youth which he affirmed that this was a human rights issue that needed to be addressed urgently and sensitize the youths on importance of voting democratically for leaders and urged the government to fasten civic education in the grassroots level especially in Kiambu County.

The other aspirants in the Ikinu ward included Mrs. Ann Nyambura from TNA and Samuel Gakima Wanjiru from Party of National Unity (PNU).