Ol Kalou vote counting begins after polls close

Vote counting has begun across polling stations in Ol Kalou constituency after polling officially closed at 5 pm on Thursday, marking the start of the final phase of the closely watched parliamentary by-election.

Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) officials commenced sorting, counting and tallying ballots at individual polling stations in the presence of candidates' agents, accredited observers and members of the media, in line with electoral procedures.

The exercise follows a day of voting that attracted significant political attention, with candidates from several political parties and independent aspirants seeking to succeed the late area MP.

Under the electoral law, counting is conducted openly at each polling station immediately after the close of voting.

The IEBC said presiding officers formally closed polling stations at 5 pm, but all voters who were already in the queue by the deadline were allowed to cast their ballots.

"At 5 pm, the Presiding Officer formally closes the polling station. However, all voters who were already in the queue at 5 pm are allowed to vote," the commission said.

To safeguard the integrity of the process, the commission said a police officer stands behind the last voter in the queue to mark the end of the line, preventing any additional voters from joining after the official closing time.

Presiding officers are now counting ballots at their respective polling stations before recording the results on official declaration forms. The forms will be signed by agents present, with copies issued to the agents and another pinned at the polling station for public viewing.

The presiding officer will then announce the results at the polling station before securely packing all election materials and delivering the results to the constituency tallying centre for collation.

The IEBC had earlier assured voters that any time lost due to the delayed opening of polling stations would be recovered at the close of voting, ensuring all eligible voters in the queue had an opportunity to vote.

During a status update issued earlier in the day, the commission said the election had largely progressed as planned, with most polling stations opening on time and all eligible voters being identified using the Kenya Integrated Elections Management System (KIEMS) kits.

By 1 pm, voter turnout had reached 38.8 per cent of registered voters, with the commission urging eligible residents who had not yet voted to turn out before polling closed.

The electoral agency also reminded political parties, candidates, agents and supporters to uphold peace and avoid actions that could compromise the secrecy or integrity of the vote.

As counting got underway, the IEBC reiterated that only accredited persons were allowed access to tallying centres, warning against the presence of unauthorised individuals, including political leaders who are not accredited.

Once results from all polling stations are received, the constituency returning officer will verify, collate and announce the constituency results before declaring the winner in the presence of candidates, agents and accredited observers.

The Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election has drawn national attention, with heightened security maintained throughout the day as political parties closely monitored the contest.

The commission encouraged members of the public to rely on its official communication channels for verified election updates as the counting exercise continues.