[Homabay Town polling station in South Nyanza. Polling clerks have kept off their place of work contrary to IEBC plans. Photo/Peter Onyango]
The Independent electoral and Boundaries Commission has suffered a blow in many polling stations in Western region as polling officials kept off their duty despite attending training.
A worrying trend has been observed in Nyanza and Western regions with similar cases reported in Coast and parts of South Eastern part of the country.
But with a few officials appearing for the exercise in some NASA strongholds, officials in Raila Odinga's Nyanza backyard have kept off from the polls.
In Awendo Primary, the station remained locked with no traces of security officers and polling clerks with the similar situation observed in Homabay Township, Mbita Primary among othrer regions in the opposition home turf.
"Polling clerks have not shown up and none is ready to risk life. They have explained to us and we have nothing to do," said a senior IEBC official from South Nyanza who requested anonymity
On Wednesday, opposition leader Raila Odinga urged his supporters to keep off polling stations contrary to expectations that he was to call for protests.
"They are targeting our supporters and you have to keep off polling stations and pray at home," said Odinga..