Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Director of Communications Philip Etale was on Monday arrested from his hotel in Kilifi County, ahead of the much anticipated Malindi parliamentary by-election.
Reports indicate that Etale was apprehended and taken to Kilifi Police Station over being in possession of election materials.
The ODM official was accused of trying to hack the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) system in an attempt to rig the election, claims that he vehemently denied.
Etale's arrest came hours before the residents of Malindi headed to the polls to decide on their new leadership.
The party, however, maintained that his arrest was under unclear circumstances.
The Malindi parliamentary contest is seen as a two-horse race between ODM's Willy Mtengo and Jubilee's Philip Charo.
ODM has been on record claiming that Jubilee was planning to rig the election.
Oppositon leader Raila Odinga condemned the arrest stating that; "We are concerned at the campaign of black mail and arm-twisting that Jubilee is adopting in the region manifested in arbitrary arrests including that of Mr Philip Etale and we have assigned senators James Orengo and Johnstone Muthama to take up the case of Mr Etale".
