NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 5 – Voting in Kandara, Garissa Township, Elgeyo-Marakwet and Shelly Ward by-elections kicked off Thursday morning with most polling stations recording low turnout.
The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) is looking to retain the Kandara, Garissa Township, Elgeyo-Marakwet Parliamentary seats which were held by Alice Wahome, Aden Duale and Kipchumba Murkomen after declared vacant after they resigned to join President William Ruto cabinet.
While the party is all but assured of bagging the Kandara seat, the contests in the Garissa Township Constituency and Elgeyo Marakwet Senate race have given party stalwarts a run for their money.
Duale and Murkomen were forced to pitch camp in the two areas to fend off competitiors such as UDM led by Mandera Senator Ali Roba and Tim Kipchumba of the Party for Peace and Development who has making forays in bid to turn the tables on the ruling party.
UDA’s William Kisang will be facing off with Kipchumba and Safina’s Jerotich Seii in the Elgeyo-Marakwet Senate race.
The Garissa Township Constituency race has drawn eight candidates but is predominantly a two-horse race between UDA’s Barrow Dekow Mohamed and Nasir Mohamed Dolal of UDM.
Abduljabar Mohamed is UDA candidate in Lamu County’s Shella Ward.
