Listen to This Article Enhance your reading experience by listening to this article.

Thousands of Kibra residents are today taking part in the by-election to choose their Member of Parliament (MP) after the death of former MP Ken Okoth.

Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga is among thousands of Kibra voters who had cast their votes by noon of the voting day.

Shortly after casting his vote, Raila was hopeful that his alleged attachment to Kibera would manifest in the election outcome.

“We are in our bedroom. I want to urge our people to protect our bedroom against infestation by strangers and outsiders,” said Raila

Imran Okoth, the ODM candidate in the by-election and brother to the former Kibra MP Ken Okoth also cast his vote before noon.

Raila and Okoth cast their votes at Old Kibra Primary School polling station.

Jubilee’s candidate and professional footballer Mcdonald Mariga also visited some polling stations.

He, however, cannot vote as he is not a registered voter.

Mariga said that during the last general election, he was playing international football and so he fell in the category of diaspora voters.

Mariga, however, expressed his optimism in the election.

“Kuna kushinda na kushindwa, BUT mi niko confident nitashinda (there is winning and losing but I am confident I will win),” said Mariga.

ANC party leader Musalia Mudavadi, accompanied by the party candidate in the by-election Eliud Owalo, also presented himself to oversee the process.

24 Candidates

According to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), the election has attracted 24 candidates, seven of whom are Independent.

The most influential candidates who have held major political rallies during the campaigns are Jubilee’s Mcdonald Mariga, ODM’s Imran Okoth and Amani National Congress (ANC) party candidate Eliud Owalo.

Other parties represented are, Democratic Party, National Rainbow Coalation-Kenya (NARC-Kenya) Ukweli Party, Green Congress Party, Party of Democratic Unity, United Green Movement, Justice and Freedom Party, Roots Party, National Liberal Party, The New Democrats, Ford Kenya, Modern Alliance, Mungano and Republican Liberty Party.

Voter Bribery

In the morning hours of Thursday, about two people were arrested with allegations of voter bribery.

A Constituency Development Fund (CDF) official from Langata is among the people arrested so far with voter bribery claims.

A woman was also nabbed with bundles of cash stashed inside her bra.

The money was in denominations of Sh200 and was alleged to be used for voter bribery.