NAIROBI, Kenya July 17 – The ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA) has openly acknowledged that campaign goodies distributed in Ol Kalou before the just concluded by-election were part of election activities, even as it urged residents to keep everything they received despite the party’s crushing defeat.
Speaking after the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) declared DCP candidate Sammy Kamau the winner, UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar said the gas cylinders and other items given to residents would remain with them.
“The gas cylinders will remain in Ol Kalou. They will not burst. It is part of what people do in elections. Elections present different opportunities for different people. It happens everywhere,” Omar said.
He added that the party remained committed to delivering development projects promised to residents.
“What we want to assure the residents is that we will finish the projects we had undertaken to deliver,” he said.
UDA had mounted an aggressive last-minute campaign in Ol Kalou, distributing gas cylinders, mattresses and other items while also launching projects such as borehole drilling.
The government and the ruling party defended the activities at the time, insisting they were part of ongoing development efforts.
However, the opposition, led by Rigathi Gachagua’s led Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), accused the government and UDA of using state resources to influence voters.
Opposition leaders called on the IEBC to investigate what they termed voter bribery.
Even as they criticized the distribution of the items, DCP leaders urged residents to accept the goodies but vote for their candidate, Sammy Kamau, instead of UDA’s Muchina Nyaga.
The strategy appeared to pay off.
According to the IEBC, Kamau won the hotly contested by-election with 35,440 votes, while UDA candidate Muchina Nyaga secured 5,460 votes, handing the ruling party one of its heaviest by-election defeats.