Nyaribari Masaba Member of Parliament Elijah Mosomi Moindi has been accused of voter poaching and bribery from the neighboring Nyaribari Chache constituency.
According to sources, Moindi is using his relatives in Nyaribari Chache to source and transport voters to register in his constituency a head of 2017 general elections.
He is accused of paying voters between sh. 800 and sh.1500 to access a voting card in Nyanturago, Masimba, Nyamasibi; all in Nyaribari Masaba and Huduma center in Kisii town.
Among the people said to be Moindi’s agents from Nyaribari Chache Constituency include; Tom Nyabeta from Kenyambi, Nyamusi Getembe, Bwonda Nyarindo and his brother Momanyi Nyarindo. All the four are said to be coming from one family.
The locations and villages that according to sources are hit by the poaching include Kenyambi, Geterere, Omosasa, Riondong’a, Timani, Nyaturubo, Nyamware, Riomweri, Nyanturago, Irondi, Ibeno, Kerera, Rigena, Gesinga, Irungu, Kiemenyinga, Jogoo, Kiamabundu, Gekomu and Kisii town.
The MP is said to majorly targeting the Abatondo clan, which he belongs to, and Abamobea clan.
Speaking at Keumbu social hall during the launch of Nyaribari Chache Maendeleo Ya Wanawake (MYW), residents who attended the forum expressed their anger on the voter bribery allegations.
Led by MYW chair Clare Ondari, they urged the constituents to avoid being bought noting it weakens their bargaining power in both county and national governments.
“I ask all women to stand and ignore anybody out there to buy you. Your vote is very important and therefore we should register in large numbers in the ongoing voter registration exercise. We will only have bargaining power when we vote in large numbers,” said Ondari.
Kiogoro ward MCA aspirant Wilfred Bosire asked Nyaribari Chache residents to be loyal to their constituency, process for voter card in preparation for the coming elections.
“The law abhors transportation of voters from one ward or constituency to another unless one has met the requirements,” he referred.
On her side, Kisii women representative aspirant Judy Miruka encouraged Kisii residents to register as voters in order to elect leaders of their choice come 2017.
In a telephone interview, Nyaribari Chache parliamentary aspirant James Kenani took issue with the reports about voter poaching.
He has since asked the police to arrest and open charges to those mentioned in the transfer of voters.
“I know it’s my opponents who are doing that so that they can weaken me in my clan. I called Moindi and denied the allegations. When I called him at the second time he did not pick my calls. I ask the security agencies to investigate the matter and apprehend the perpetrators,” said Kenani.
Keumbu Assistant County Commissioner Joseph Mwangi and area senior Chief Jonathan Machoka confirmed to have received the allegations about voter buying and bribery.
They said investigations are being conducted before they take a step to those involved in the irregularities.
Moindi, has, however, denounced the allegations terming them rumours and propaganda propagated by his political detractors to kill him politically.
“That is mere propaganda from my opponents meant to stain my name. I have never been involved in such activities-bribing and poaching of voters. I have enough people why should I import more?” posed the legislator.
He wondered how his own relatives who are also vying for various political posts in Nyaribari Chache could transport the people they expect to ascend them to power.
“I agree I have relatives in Nyaribari Chache constituency. In fact that is our original home and is where I stay. Robert Monda is my in-law, Keumbu ward MCA Kennedy Nyakundi is my cousin and I also have three cousins from Nyaturubo who are vying for the ward post.”
The Narc Kenya party MP added: “I wonder when I went to buy voters. I can remember I was in Nyaturubo a month ago when I went to reconcile my 3 cousins who are concurrently vying for the ward seat. I was advising them to bank support on one person in order to win the seat.”
He has called on anybody with tangible evidence to report the matter to the police.
Dr. Monda is in the race for the parliamentary seat come 2017.He currently serves as the chairman, Accreditation Board of Kenya.
According to Kenani, Monda’s intention is to weaken him in his own clan. Kenani comes from Abatondo clan while Monda enjoys dominance in the Bomobea clan.
However, Monda has scoffed off and rubbished the claims of assisting Moindi in buying voters terming them false and unfounded.
“How can I assist Moindi to take my voters surely? What must come out clear is that Moindi has been and he is poaching voters from my constituency. This is a fact. Am ready to prove because I have the list of people he has taken from various places in Nyaribari Chache constituency to his constituency. I have 81 names but they are many,” the angry Monda vented.
He added: “Yes, Moindi is my in-law, but am so much annoyed with the way he is doing things. If he has failed to convince his own people to accept him, he cannot go over the border to fetch for voters."
"He has his own problems that he should address in a different way and not buying voters from Nyaribari Chache. If he wants to vie for the seat in Nyaribari Chache he can come instead of playing a blunt game. It will back fire against him.”
The former Nyaribari Chache MP challenged Kenani, his opponent, to avoid linking him to voter bribery and poaching.
“Kenani was my teacher and I respect him so much. I expect the same to reciprocate. If he has even failed to convince the electorate of his backyard he should not lean on me. He only got 700 votes in the entire constituency in the last general election. So, he is a crawling baby in politics.”
Kenani, the former Kenya Pipeline Corporation Chairman and Charles Birundu both eyeing for the parliamentary seat, hail from the same clan-Botondo.