Democratic Party (DP) leader and former National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi cast his vote early Monday morning at Kanyuombora Primary School in Mbeere North, marking a calm and efficient start to one of the country’s most closely watched by-elections.
Muturi arrived at the station shortly after 6am, addressing the media before proceeding to the ballot box. He reported having monitored the opening of polling centres across the constituency and expressed satisfaction with the smooth start.
“I have been making follow-ups from various stations, and so far the reports I have received show the process has started smoothly and there are no hiccups,” he said.
The former Speaker shared encouraging accounts of young voters arriving early, determined to participate in the democratic process. “In some places, I have very interesting stories of young men and girls walking to polling centres saying, ‘whatever it is, we must cast our ballots.’ It is encouraging,” he added.
Peaceful Start Across Mbeere North
Mbeere North is among the constituencies experiencing highly competitive by-elections, with political parties keenly watching turnout trends. Muturi noted that the DP candidate was set to vote at Karambari Primary School, while United Opposition candidate Newton Karish—vying under the Democratic Party banner—was also scheduled to vote early.
Within the first hour of voting, no incidents had been reported. Muturi expressed optimism that this calm trend would continue throughout the day.
Security Measures in Place
Muturi backed the security interventions, including police roadblocks on key routes to prevent external interference. He dismissed opposition claims of plans to ferry in goons as unfounded and meant to create unnecessary tension.
Elsewhere, Malava MP aspirant Seth Panyako also cast his vote early, joining several other United Opposition leaders who had voted before 7:30am.
Across the country, polling stations opened at 6am, with residents braving chilly weather to vote. The IEBC confirmed voting would close at 5pm, allowing any queued voters to cast ballots.
Muturi urged Kenyans to remain peaceful, noting that patience and calm would ensure a credible electoral process.
