Lawyer Dr Miguna Miguna has said the Migori senatorial by elections that kicked of Monday is not a matter to do with Governor Okoth Obado or Raila Odinga.
Miguna who has been vigorously campaigning for Federal Party of Kenya candidate Eddy Oketch Gicheru said this amid pressure from Kenyans on twitter following his quest to have them vote for Eddy.
Someone had posted citing that Migori’s by elections are to act as a litmus paper to test Raila Odinga’s factor and political impact, asking Miguna to state whether it will be Governor Obado or Raila factor.
Tomorrow’s Election in Migori is a litmus test for Raila And the larger Odm influence in the Area!
If it fails to go to Raila’s way, it will be a big blow. This will have an impact in 2022.
Will it be Raila’s factor, or Obado?? We shall see @MigunaMiguna
— Abass mohamed (@Abasssmoham) October 7, 2018
It’s not about Obado or Raila: It is about truth versus lies.
— Dr. Miguna Miguna (@MigunaMiguna) October 7, 2018
Migori residents woke up as early as 5am to vote in the senatorial by-election occasioned by the death of Ben Oluoch Okello in June this year.
Voting started at 6am and some of the electorates expressed their joy of having exercised their democratic right in a peaceful environment.
Security has been beefed in an outside the polling centres with officers sending away idlers.
Each of the 826 polling stations in the county is being manned by at least two police officers.
Nyanza Regional police boss Leonard Katana said his officers will make sure order and peace is maintained during the by-election.
“We have mapped out the hotspots and our deployment in those areas will be different,” he said.
Some of the officers have been brought in from the neighbouring counties to assist in security surveillance.
Migori has been notorious for violence during campaigns and elections although minimal fracas was reported in this mini poll campaigns.
IEBC commissioner, Prof Abdi Guliye said all had kicked off smoothly and they hope that the exercise will end well.
The six candidates that are battling it out are Mr Ochillo Ayacko (Orange Democratic Movement), Mr Eddy Oketh (Federal Party of Kenya), Mr Peter Jobando (Green Congress Party), Mr Solomon Hodo Rugaria (People’s Democratic Party), Mr Samwel Otieno (independent) and mr Dickson Ogolla (independent).
The Migori senate race is seen as a two-horse race between Mr Ayacko and Mr Oketch.
Migori County has about 388,000 registered voters.