Celebrations erupt outside tallying centre as vote counting continues in Ol Kalou

Celebrations erupt outside the tallying centre as vote counting continues in Ol Kalou/ SCREENGRAB

Celebrations broke out in parts of Ol Kalou town on Thursday night as vote counting and tallying continued in the closely watched parliamentary by-election, even though the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) had not yet officially declared a winner.

Groups of residents gathered outside the constituency tallying centre, singing, dancing, waving and repeatedly chanting "Si uchawi, ni maombi" as they awaited the outcome of the contest that attracted national attention.

The jubilant mood came hours after polling closed and counting commenced across all polling stations before results began trickling into the constituency tallying centre.

Some residents expressed confidence that their preferred candidates would emerge victorious, saying they were optimistic based on information from their polling agents and results announced at individual polling stations.

One resident said they intended to continue celebrating through the night as they awaited the official declaration by the electoral commission.

"We are happy with how the election has gone. We believe our candidate has won and we will continue celebrating until morning as we wait for the official announcement," the resident said.

Despite the celebrations, the IEBC had not declared any candidate the winner by the time of publication.

The commission has maintained that only the Returning Officer has the legal mandate to verify, collate and announce the final constituency results after receiving all polling station returns.

Under electoral procedures, results announced at polling stations are transmitted to the constituency tallying centre, where they are verified before the winner is declared.

The by-election drew a relatively high voter turnout, with the IEBC reporting that turnout had reached 50.78 per cent by 3pm.

The election had largely proceeded peacefully for most of the day before isolated incidents of violence were reported in parts of Ol Kalou town, prompting condemnation from the electoral commission and security agencies.

As tallying continued Thursday night, security remained heightened around the tallying centre, with police restricting access to accredited election officials, candidates' agents, observers and members of the media.

The IEBC has urged political parties, candidates and their supporters to remain calm and await the official declaration of results, reiterating that any disputes arising from the election should be addressed through the legal channels provided under the law.