The by-election in Mbeere North began under heavy tension after fresh claims of attacks on polling agents raised fear among voters and officials. Reports shared on Thursday morning suggested that individuals heading to different polling stations had been targeted before the voting exercise even took shape.
This immediately set off concerns about interference, safety, and the overall credibility of the process, especially because political temperatures in the area had already been high throughout the week.
Moses Kuria, the Chama Cha Kazi party leader, posted on X saying that agents on their way to their stations had been attacked by groups he described as goons. His message spread fast and added more pressure to an already charged environment.
The claims came at a moment when both the government and the Opposition had been trading accusations about plans to disrupt the polls, each side insisting that the other was plotting chaos.
Because of these exchanges, every small incident in Mbeere North was being closely watched and interpreted through a political lens.
A day before the vote, the ruling UDA party had accused the Opposition of organising trouble meant to interfere with the by-election. UDA Party Chairperson Cecily Mbarire, speaking in Embu, said that people had been ferried into the constituency to create tension.
She also mentioned cases of voter bribery in Kanyuambora, Ishiara and nearby areas, calling on the IEBC to act quickly and address what she described as clear attempts to influence the outcome.
She insisted that unnamed Opposition groups were behind the plan and warned that the actions could affect the integrity of the vote.
Her claims were supported by Public Service CS Geoffrey Ruku, who also pointed to incidents earlier in the week where clashes had left some people injured. He said that one person had undergone knee surgery at Embu Level 5 Hospital after an alleged attack. Ruku condemned those involved and said the residents of Mbeere North deserved to vote without fear or disruption.
The Opposition, however, strongly denied the accusations and instead said the government was planning to rig the by-election. Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, DCP leader Rigathi Gachagua and DAP-K’s Eugene Wamalwa held a joint press briefing late Wednesday where they claimed the government intended to sneak in pre-marked ballot papers.
They alleged that plain-clothes officers and hired groups would be used to create disorder, giving room for compromised officials to stuff ballots in Mbeere North, Malava and Magarini. Kalonzo claimed that 15,000 pre-marked ballots had been directed to Mbeere North and another 10,000 to Malava. He added that a total of 30,000 re-marked ballots had already been dispatched and warned the IEBC that the loopholes in serialisation were dangerous. Gachagua went on to accuse the IEBC of working with government agencies to tilt the outcome.
He said the Opposition had deployed agents to all key polling stations and instructed them to insist on frisking before voting began.
He warned against allowing plain-clothes officers inside polling stations, saying such moves had been used in the past to influence results.Security concerns grew as the National Police Service issued a warning on Wednesday telling politicians to stop inciting supporters.
Police said security had been boosted in all the 24 areas holding by-elections and that interference of any kind would not be tolerated.
This was followed by a reminder from IEBC Chairperson Ethokon Edong, who cautioned candidates and party agents against showing up in groups that could disrupt tallying. He said the commission would strictly enforce access rules to avoid crowding and intimidation during counting.
