Polling stations in Lugari Constituency are experiencing low voter turnout in the ongoing Kakamega County gubernatorial by-elections.
All the 173 polling stations in the constituency were ready by six in the morning for voting but few voters were turning out to cast their ballots.
Some polling stations with over six hundred voters had less than sixty voters who braced chilly weather to vote.
Constituency Returning Officer Jeremiah Kerich however expressed confidence that many voters would turn out in the afternoon.
On his side, Cyrus Jirongo gubernatorial race candidate under United Democratic Party said the voting process could either be too swift or voter turnout could be too low.
Jirongo who spoke to the press after casting his vote at Lumakanda Township Primary School polling station said it was too early to conclude low voter turnout because the voting process was fast because it was only one position being voted for.
In other news, it forced IEBC officials to replace the KIEMS kits for Sirende and Makina Primary Schools Polling Stations within Lwandeti and Lugari Wards respectively after the gadgets failed.
The voters in the two polling stations had spent better part of the morning without voting as IEBC ICT team sought a solution to the challenge.
The IEBC boss later urged voters in the two affected polling stations to go and vote as the challenge had been resolved.
Kakamega gubernatorial by-election race is expected to be a tight race between two main contenders Fernandez Barasa of Orange Democratic Movement and Amani National Congress’s Cleophas Malala.
Other candidates expected in the ballot include Cyrus Shakhalaga Jirongo of United Democratic Party, Samuel Omukoko, Independent. Also in the race are Austine Otieno, Independent, Michael Osundwa, Independent and Suleiman Kanyanya of Kenya African National Union.
Further, enough security personnel have been deployed in all 173 polling stations to ensure the process is peaceful without external disturbance according to Lugari Sub-County Police Commander Bernerd Ngungu.
