Tension Remains High in Mombasa After Voters Barred From Voting

TENSION remained high in Mombasa County following the just ended party of national unity alliance that saw over 12,000 voters locked from voting.

The irked rejected upcountry voters from all 30 wards within the Mombasa County reacted angrily to the move saying it was part of the plot by the Coastal voters to throw them out of the city.

The PNU grassroots elections which were held on Saturday in various parts of the county turned out to be a tribal voting as the upcountry voters were not briefed on where the polling stations would be stationed and hence threw the whole process in disarray as the voters rummaged every parts of the county to find where the exercise was being held.

Earlier on the part of the local dailies had published the date of the elections and the names of the officials to officiate but till yesterday night the upcountry voters despite making several calls to the returning clerk Yusuf Mambo, they had not been told which stations would be used as polling centers.

It was until today morning that they heard rumours that elections were being held in certain centres in Changamwe and Portrietz built when they contacted the returning officer as early as 8:30 am, they were told the elections were already over.

Others who confessed to the press also expressed bitterness from the way the returning officer dismissed them over claims that they had no right to vote here as they were not of the coast origin.

Carrying evidential materials which implicated that the voters were actually registered in Mombasa County wards the voters led by an aspiring Chairman Patrick Kabundu, protested that it was unfair for them to be locked out yet they were all in the same alliance.

‘We are all in the same umbrella body that encompasses various political parties who have a common goal and its too embarrassing   to see this kind of tribal seclusion and this is just early signs that there wont be free and fair elections in the coming polls.” 

They alleged that aspiring governor and gulf bank chairman Suleiman Shahbal was the master mind behind the whole upcountry voters as part of the ploy to bar them from contesting any seat within the Mombasa County as part of the devolved government setup.

“We are not in anyway aspiring for the governor or senator ship seats but as part of being the coastal community residing and having business interests here we also need to be part of the devolved government.”

Kabundu reiterated that it was evident that a plot has hatched to kick out all upcountry residents in Mombasa County so as to give way for the locals to fully exploit and enjoy the devolved government benefits by themselves.

Kabundu further alleged that Shahbal who is member of the PNU alliance has not been active in the drumming up support for the alliance and all over a sudden he springs out of nowhere via Shirikisho party and start discriminating upcountry voters who have dedicated all their time and resources to uplift the alliance.

He said he would mobiles the rejected voters for ditch the PNU alliance if the rigged elections were not cancelled and a fresh date set again.

“We have had consensus with the Lamu people where elections went on smoothly involving each other as after talks they realized we needed each other to cohabit.”

The PNU Member who is also a prominent business man in Mombasa said their earlier arrangement to meet with Suleiman Shahbal and Mvita aspirant on Narc-K Mvita Mp aspirant Mohammed Tenge flopped after Shahbal did not show up.

Reports reaching the media however confirm that Shahbal whop was to be in the consensus meeting attended by Kabundu and Tenge was holed up in Big range hotel in Nyali hosting coordinators and other election officials as part of the syndicate to shortchange the voting pattern.

It is amazing if this is what Shahbal intents to do as a governor then it simply disqualifies him as a potential candidate and we will mobilize all the upcountry voters to vote against him when the time comes.

He condemned the act and added that they will move to court to challenge the elections results as they were not conducted in a free and fair manner.