Bus fare hikes as citizens travel upcountry to vote

The country has recorded a surge in last-minute bookings and travels ahead of today’s General-Election.

A spot check by People Daily found hundreds of passengers trying to get home to their registered polling stations. 

In some areas, bus fares doubled due to demand especially to western region.

The region is home to Kenya’s second most populous ethnic community and is seen as a swing region. 

It has a combined voter population of 2.6 million spread across five counties.

“Here in Bungoma we are all okay. We have seen a lot of travellers passing through here as they head to Busia town on the border with Uganda where they registered as voters,” said travel agent Kennedy Ajimbi.

In Eldoret town, voters have also been verifying if they are on the final election register.

Eldoret in Kenya’s Rift valley is seen as the stronghold of Deputy President William Ruto who will on Tuesday be casting his vote in his hometown of Sugoi.

“Yes, we’re going to have a free fair and transparent and credible process, the area’s electoral returning officer Irene Mutahi said.

The situation was similar in Kisumu town as passengers were in a last minute rush to get to their rural homes to have an opportunity to vote.

As a result, several passengers travelling to vote in the rural places were left stranded following a shortage of vehicles. The high number of passengers travelling has heaped pressure on public service vehicles as several sought to travel ahead of the polls.

At the Kisumu bus terminus, tens of passengers were seated on the waiting bench hoping that vehicles would arrive to take them home.

According to John Ochiel, a driver plying Kisumu-Kisii route, the number of passengers traveling ahead of the election has gradually increased since Friday last week. 

Available vehicles

He noted that the majority of passengers were only traveling one way thus making all the available vehicles move in one direction.

“There are so many passengers travelling on one way since Friday last week and since then, we are having a challenge,” he said.

He added that in as much as they are making a lot of profit and business is booming, the vehicle comes back empty as there are no passengers travelling back to town.

Millicent Awuor, a passenger, who was traveling to Migori from Kisumu town, said that she had to travel back to the village to exercise her democratic right.

“I did not anticipate to miss a vehicle but all in all, I must travel home to vote since our country needs better leadership and I know that my vote will make a change,” she said.

She also noted that the matatu operators did not increase bus charges despite passengers thronging the bus terminus.