The Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Homa Bay County elections were aborted on Sunday after chaotic scenes and alleged violations of electoral procedures at Tom Mboya University. The exercise, which drew an unexpectedly large turnout of teachers, was stopped mid‑afternoon following congestion, commotion, and the destruction of ballot materials.
County chairman aspirant Ben Obop said the process began smoothly after early preparations and a pre‑election briefing, but logistical gaps quickly emerged. “We came very early to ensure a smooth process. A pre‑election meeting was held, but some of the arrangements failed to materialise after the Labour Office did not avail itself,” he said, noting that the main voting hall could not accommodate the crowd, leading to delays and confusion.
Obop added that some members interpreted the congestion as a deliberate attempt to lock them out, escalating tensions when doors were opened to admit more voters. “This prompted people to force their way into the hall,” he said. As tempers flared, ballot papers were burnt and others destroyed by agitated voters, forcing officials to halt the exercise. He said candidates now await guidance from the KUPPET National Executive Board on rescheduling and the way forward, stressing the need for a democratic and inclusive process.
Organising secretary aspirant Collins Ouma said voting began as early as 6:00 a.m., with about 37 candidates contesting various positions. “For most of the day, due process was followed,” he said. However, he noted that commotion broke out around 2:00 p.m., compelling officials to stop the election. Ouma emphasized that KUPPET elections are ordinarily supervised by the Labour Office alongside relevant authorities and urged both branch and national councils to convene consultative meetings with aspirants to resolve the impasse and set a fresh poll date within weeks.
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Gender secretary aspirant Angela Okoth attributed the collapse of the exercise to alleged breaches of election laws, including claims of multiple voting. “There were cases where some voters allegedly voted more than once because the ink used was not sufficiently indelible,” she said. Okoth further alleged interference with ballot materials, which intensified tensions and made continuation impossible. She called for stronger coordination between the Labour Office and electoral officials to guarantee a free, fair, and credible process in future.
Several voters expressed disappointment, saying they arrived early expecting a transparent exercise but witnessed chaos and irregularities instead. “As voters, we are not happy. The election was neither free nor fair, and that is why it had to stop,” one teacher said.
Candidates and members are awaiting communication from KUPPET’s national leadership on next steps, including the possibility of conducting fresh elections under tighter oversight and improved logistics to prevent a repeat of Sunday’s disruptions.
By Masaki Enock
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