By Norah Musega
KUPPET Migori branch Executive Secretary Samuel Orwa, Chairman Henry Otunga and Treasurer Florence Ouma were re-elected in elections held on January 16.
Orwa beat Kenn Boro with 769 votes against 766, a mere three-vote margin.
But Boro cried foul, saying the elections had been manipulated in favour of the incumbents.
“The results do not reflect the wish of members who turned out in large numbers to exercise their constitutional right to elect their leaders,” said Boro.
He accused his opponents of using unregistered members to rig election in their favour.
Chairman Otunga won with 1,022 votes, defeating outgoing vice chairman Paul Migwambo and former Migori Executive Secretary John Obonyo.
Treasurer Ouma garnered 699 votes, relegating Jacinta Riro Robi and outgoing assistant Treasurer Francis Mahaba to second and third position respectively.
George Okatch was elected branch vice chair with 880 votes, Rollex Owino as assistant Executive Secretary with 697 votes and Bonfas Ogallo as assistant Treasurer with 696 votes.
Leah Omollo won the position of Tertiary representative with 909 votes, flooring John Adwar who was her only opponent.
Fredrick Nyabuogi, who garnered 728 votes, is the new Secretary Secondary.
Sheila Omuga was elected Gender Secretary with 536 votes and Kevin Odhiambo as Organising Secretary.
The branch elections had attracted 25 candidates vying for the ten slots in the branch executive committee.
The candidates grouped themselves in three factions. Team Vision, led by Orwa, consisted mostly of incumbents, while Team Change was led by Boro.
Boro told Education News that his name was missing in the register even after he had been cleared by the union to vie for the Executive Secretary seat.
“We had demanded that the register be made available to members before election day to allow confirmation of who were eligible voters, a call that was not heeded. Several members who turned out to vote, including myself, did not find their names on the register,” added Boro.
