IEBC suspended the Kiambaa constituency vote tallying on Friday morning, July 16, after Jubilee candidate Kariri Njama and his supporters stormed into the tallying centre and caused a fracas.
Njama and his supporters alleged that IEBC under Wafula Chebukati were tilting elections in the favour of UDA's Njuguna Wanjiku.
152 polling stations out of 154 had been tallied with Wanjiku leading with 21,301 votes, 244 more than Kariri Njama's 21,057 votes.
The Jubilee candidate and his entourage wanted IEBC's Kiambaa Returning Officer - Peter Muigai - to recount votes for two centres, Kawaida and Muchatha polling stations they alleged had witnessed election malpractices.
"We want a recount in Kawaida and Muchatha," they demanded. IEBC had counted 42,611 votes by then, representing a voter turnout of 44.79 percent. Kiambaa has 96,020 registered voters.
Police took over the tallying centre and locked contesting officials out of the premises.
This was the second time Jubilee officials and politicians forced IEBC to suspend by-elections in 2021.
In May 2021, Juja parliamentary by-election vote tallying was suspended after Kiambu Governor James Nyoro and his team alleged that IEBC was against Jubilee's Susan Njeri.
People's Empowerment Party's (PEP) George Koimburi was, later on, declared the winner. PEP is led by Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria.
“For the second by-election in a row, the ruling party is rioting and refusing to accept defeat in Kiambaa,” Kuria posted on Facebook on Friday morning, July 16.
In the Muguga Ward by-election, Jubilee candidate Githinji Mung’ara was declared the winner with UDA candidate Kamau Thumbi finishing in the runners-up position.
Mung’ara got 4,089 votes against Thumbi who garnered 4,062.
