Ol Kalou voting ends as counting and tallying begin

Voting in the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election officially closed at 5 pm on Thursday, paving the way for ballot counting and tallying.

Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) had announced that it would close by 5 pm and move the electoral exercise into its next critical phase.

"Any lost time at opening will be recovered at closing and voters in the queue by 5.00 pm will be allowed to vote," the commission said.

The close of polling marked the end of a day in which voters turned out across the constituency to elect their next Member of Parliament, with election officials now expected to begin counting ballots at individual polling stations before transmitting the results for constituency tallying.

However, the commission had earlier clarified that polling would continue beyond the official closing time in stations that opened late or experienced interruptions during the day.

It also directed that all voters who were in the queue by 5 pm would still be allowed to cast their ballots before counting commenced.

In an update issued one hour before the close of voting, IEBC urged residents who had not yet voted to turn out and exercise their democratic right, saying every vote counts.

The commission also appealed to political parties, candidates, agents, the media and voters to uphold peace throughout the remainder of the electoral process and avoid actions that could compromise the integrity of the election.

Earlier in the day, IEBC reported that voter turnout had reached 38.2 per cent by 1 pm, describing the exercise as progressing as planned while commending election officials, security agencies and voters for their cooperation.

The electoral agency said all eligible voters continued to be identified through the Kenya Integrated Elections Management System (KIEMS) kits before being issued with ballot papers.

With polling concluded, presiding officers are expected to open ballot boxes at their respective polling stations and count votes in the presence of agents, accredited observers and members of the media.

The commission said agents will be allowed to photograph the official results forms after they have been completed and signed, while copies of the forms will be displayed at polling stations to enhance transparency.

Results from all polling stations will then be delivered to the constituency tallying centre, where the returning officer will verify, collate and declare the outcome in the presence of candidates, agents and accredited stakeholders.

The Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election has attracted significant political attention, with candidates from several political parties and independent aspirants seeking to win the seat.