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There was a low voter turnout in the Mombasa governor race election that kicked off on Monday, August 29 at 6 am.

Julius Owino, a voter at Mikindani Primary School, said that the exercise had kicked off well but turnout remained low at the polling station.

“Kenyans are tired. A very small number of voters are coming in to cast their votes. There are no ques at all. Maybe the situation is because of the ongoing case at the Supreme Court,” he said.

Voter bribery claims

At Mikindani Primary School voter bribery was witnessed and voters were advised to secretly take photos of the marked ballot papers for certain candidates.

“There are agents waiting for those photos outside the polling station and once you show them the photo of the candidate you had been advised to vote for, you are given Ksh500,” a voter who spoke on condition of anonymity said.

At Changamwe Social Hall polling station, similar incidences were reported with both United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) agents allegedly dishing Ksh500 to voters.

In Kisauni Constituency, police arrested three occupants of a personal vehicle who were reported to have been bribing voters.

The suspects are being held at Kiembieni Police Station undergoing interrogation.