Independent candidate Feisal Badar is leading the hotly contested Msambweni by-election beating ODM’s Omar Boga.
As at 1.05am Wednesday, Feisal was leading with 7,103 votes while Boga had 6,256 votes from 70 of the 129 polling stations.
Abdurahman Sheikh of Wiper was a distant third with 359 votes
The fierce political rivalry between DP William Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga played out in the Msambweni by-election, setting the stage for a high-stakes presidential contest in 2022.
Ruto and Raila deployed political heavyweights to watch over the voting process as they heightened the battle for the Coast voting block.
From the beginning, the tension was palpable.
Despite a low voter turnout, the exercise was marked by arrests of politicians and agents, voter bribery allegations, missing names in the voter register and pockets of violence as rival groups clashed.
In a number of instances, supporters of ODM’s Omar Boga and independent candidate Feisal Badar clashed at the polling stations as police tried to cool down the political temperature.
Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen alleged a plot to rig the poll.
“Bwana IEBC chair Wafula Chebukati, I bring to your attention plans to delay results of some polling stations including Mwaroni and Mwakigwena to facilitate ballot stuffing once the results are announced in other stations. We know you are up to the task. Let the people decide,” he said.
Ruto supported Bader as part of a strategy to test his political clout at the Coast.
His Jubilee Party did not field a candidate and there has been speculation that President Uhuru Kenyatta was supporting the ODM candidate.
Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho and other ODM troops including secretary-general Edwin Sifuna have for weeks pitched tent in the region to recapture the seat held by ODM since 2007.
At one point, two of Ruto’s most trusted lieutenants — former senators Johnston Muthama (Machakos) and Boni Khalwale (Kakamega)— were arrested.
The two were arrested at the Jomo Kenyatta Primary School in Msambweni.
Khalwale, however, manoeuvred and got himself freed.
Police are said to have blocked Muthama on his arrival and took all the voters outside, detaining him in one room before going for Khalwale.
Khalwale locked himself in the car asking police why they wanted to arrest him.
The voting process was disrupted for some minutes after Bader’s supporters started chanting his name.
Police in full riot gear had a hard time dispersing the angry supporters. The reason for the arrests was not known.
According to one of his security aides, Muthama was taken to Mombasa and detained at Port Police station.
“The police tried to arrest Senator Khalwale but he resisted and they got tired, leaving him,” he said.
However, Lunga Lunga MP Khatib Mwahetani denied reports that he was arrested.
It was alleged that Mwashetani had been arrested for bribing voters at the Jomo Kenyatta Primary School and later released.
The incident happened immediately after he addressed the media at Gazi polling station when Bader cast his vote.
Bader was accompanied by Nyali MP Mohammed Ali and his Malindi counterpart Aisha Jumwa.
According to Mwashetani, the police wanted to escort him to the station to record a statement on an issue he raised.
It was reported that on Tuesday night there was a confrontation between the ODM team and Bader’s.
Bader confirmed that over 50 people from his team were arrested.
Twenty-six of them were arraigned in Msambweni law court and released.
“My agents were going home after visiting their respective polling stations but they were held for no reason,” he said.
They were charged with violating the curfew hours. Some were fined Sh1,000 while others released on a free bond. Bader termed the agents’ arrest as intimidation and harassment.
Ali also questioned why some security officers were sent on leave and replaced with others from Mombasa.
Bitok, however, denied the accusations saying that he wasn’t aware of any transfer and he was still on duty.
“It is the first time I hear the news from you and I have not heard of any plans to go but I will consult,” he said.
In the morning, a section of the team from Ali and Mvita MP Abdulswamad Sherrif caused mayhem at Mwaroni polling station in Ukunda ward over bribery allegations.
Meanwhile, the by-election has left various candidates accusing each other of plotting to rig votes.
United Green Movement party Khamisi Mwakaonje said there were some election irregularities.
He said at Milalani he met people bribing voters.
Mwakaonje said some leaders were planning to interfere with the results of the main polling centres.
The candidate said the same thing happened in Vingirika.
He called upon external and internal observers, IEBC and security agencies to investigate the issue, saying he wanted a free and fair poll.
“We want the intelligence to look at the problem very seriously to ensure that such irregularities don’t occur because we have filed complaints,” he said.
Continuous confrontations were seen throughout polling day at Jomo Kenyatta Primary School after rival teams accused each other of bribery.
Others in the race are Charles Bilali (independent), Hamisi Mwakaonje (United Green Movement), Marere Wamwachai (National Vision Party), Mansury Kumaka (independent), Ali Hassan Mwakulonda (Party of Economic Democracy) and Shee Mahmoud (Wiper).