{UAH} Busia By-elections

Edward/Dr. Owor,

I am disappointed by the Opposition not because they lost but by the reasons they gave for losing. Listen to this:

'Kenyan voters cost us Busia seat'

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Democratic Party president Norbert Mao (C) addresses a press conference in Busia District on Friday. He is flanked by Mr Deo Njoki, the loser (L), and Busia Municipality MP Kevina Taaka. PHOTO BY DAVID AWOR 

By David Mafabi & David Awor

Posted  Sunday, January 25  2015 at  02:00

IN SUMMARY

'Cheated'. Opposition claims government machinery opened the border and allowed Kenyan supporters of Mr Aggrey Awori to vote for the NRM candidate in the Busia LC5 by-election.

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BUSIA- Opposition's Inter-party alliance has claimed that Kenyans who support the former minister and MP Aggrey Awori, crossed the border and voted for the ruling NRM party candidate Stephen Wanyama Oundo during the Thursday by-election for Busia LC5 seat.

Mr Wanyama won the by-election after polling 31,443 votes to beat the joint Opposition candidate, Mr Deo Njoki of the Democratic Party, who polled 21,844 votes. 
The LC5 seat fell vacant after the Mr Adea Ouma was removed from office for corruption and abuse of office last year.

The DP president, Mr Norbert Mao, told a press conference in Busia on Friday that many supporters of former ICT Minister Awori had crossed from Kenya and voted.

"We got information that the government machinery had opened the border and in the process allowed Kenyan nationals who are supporters of the former minister to enter the country freely and vote for the ruling party candidate," Mr Mao said.

The Uganda-Kenya border points remained open on voting day while porous crossing points were left unguarded. The district returning officer, Mr Sam Agaba, dismissed the allegation as speculation, saying only registered voters were allowed to vote, adding that the elections were free and fair.

Mr Mao could not reveal how many Kenyans voted and where they voted, but insisted the opening of the border allowed in Kenyans to vote.

He also accused the NRM of using state machinery to intimidate and arrest their supporters on the eve of the elections.

Mr Richard Todwong, the deputy NRM secretary general, denied the allegations of using security agencies to arrest and intimidate opposition supporters.

"As a party, we do not advise who should be arrested by the police. We had our supporters also being arrested. How would we have ordered the arrest of our own supporters? The Opposition should go to police and ask why their supporters were arrested," Mr Tadwong said.

He accused the Opposition of deceiving voters during the campaigns that NRM had been given a lot of money to buy votes.

The by-election was characterised by a low voter turnout.

editorial@ug.nationmedia.com

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All along Aggrey Awor is known as a Ugandan and has won several elections in the past without any accusation of his supporters being  Kenyans who cross to vote for him in Uganda? Doesn't Hon. Mao see the contradiction of his argument? Rigging may have taken place but to argue that Opposition lost because Aggrey Awor's supporters voted for the NRM candidate to me is shallow; it would make sense if he stated that Kenyans were allowed to cross to vote without mentioning Aggrey Awor since that would make them legitimate voters who might have gone to do their business in Kenya but returned home to vote,period.

Peter Simon