GOVERNMENT-BACKED CANDIDATE WINS COAST BY-ELECTION

UNCLAS NAIROBI 002118 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL KDEM PGOV KE SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT-BACKED CANDIDATE WINS COAST BY-ELECTION REF: NAIROBI 1832 This message is Sensitive but Unclassified, please handle accordingly. ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: With the government's backing, Harrison Kombe, of the Shirikisho party, won the May 14 low-turnout parliamentary by-election in the coastal Magarini constituency. The result was not surprising. Kombe won resoundingly with 37 percent of the votes cast, far ahead of the competition. While no one has disputed the result, there were allegations of misuse of government resources on behalf of the winning party and voter bribery by two other parties during the contest, which was an important precursor to December's general election. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) During an election severely challenged by heavy rain and flooding, Shirikisho's Harrison Kombe (supported by the pro-government NARC-K party) collected 5,138 votes of 13,728 cast (37 percent). This number, however, comprised only 12 percent of the constituency's registered voters as voter turnout was just 32 percent. Kombe's nearest competitors in the field of 10 candidates (see reftel) were opposition coalition ODM-K's Amason Kingi Jeffah with 18 percent of the votes cast and naturalized Kenyan Italian Franco Esposito, who received 16 percent. NARC-K did not field its own candidate, opting instead to support the "incumbent" Kombe. (The losing candidate had disputed Kombe's victory for the constituency seat in 2002's general election. In early 2007, a Kenyan court finally ruled on the petition, nullifying the result and precipitating Monday's by-election.) Rivers Run All Over It -------------- ¶3. (SBU) The by-election faced both logistical and political challenges. Days of heavy rain up to the morning of May 14 left roads flooded and turned small streams into impassable rivers. Speaking with diplomatic observers on May 13, Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) officials expressed concern that voting materials would not reach polling stations in time for the six a.m. opening. They were confident, however, that with contingency measures of canoes and a helicopter on standby, balloting would proceed as planned. As it turned out, the helicopter was needed, but only arrived in Magarini at one p.m. on May 14. Some more remote polling stations did not open until late afternoon on May 14 and stayed open for voters through the night. A number of polling stations reported late openings due to difficulties traveling flood-ravaged roads. The ECK Chairman acknowledged that his organization could have done more, earlier, to ensure a smoother election day. ¶4. (SBU) While 14 civic ward by-elections also took place on May 14, it was the single parliamentary election that drew the most political attention. Weeks before the polling day Vice President Moody Awori (NARC-K's second in command) visited Magarini to campaign for Kombe, but was jeered by crowds. A week before the election, Kombe's opponents accused the government of misusing its resources when officials, including two ministers, handed out land title deeds in the constituency. On election day, there were reports that candidate Esposito and his KENDA party Chairman the notoriously corrupt businessman Kamlesh Pattni were in Magarini bribing voters. Bribery allegations were also made against ODM-K; their candidate's relatives were reportedly spotted near polling stations distributing cash. (NOTE: Diplomatic observers did see Esposito and Pattni, but did not witness any vote-buying. END NOTE.) By-Election Reveals Areas for Improvement -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Nairobi-based diplomatic missions fielded a coordinated observer mission of five teams, including the U.S. DCM. The missions issued a press statement on May 17, the text of which is in paragraph 7. While observers did not witness any electoral misconduct, they noted administrative deficiencies. At single polling centers with more than one independent ballot box or polling station, voters were permitted to cast their ballot at either one. With the same voter list at each station, they only protection against double voting was the indelible ink on voters' fingers. Voters also appeared unfamiliar with the procedure, requiring guidance throughout the process, including folding the ballot to fit in the box. Observers were concerned by assisted voting, necessary for the large number of illiterate voters. In this process, a voter, assisted by an ECK official, would vote audibly in the presence of all of the many party agents and other voters present, compromising the secrecy of the ballot. These observations will be presented to the ECK Chairman in a written report with a view to encouraging improved administration and further voter education for December's general election. Comment: Government's Calculation Pays Off -------------- ¶6. (SBU) COMMENT: While NARC-K did not field a candidate in the Magarini election, it put considerable political muscle behind Kombe. His success, will be chalked up as a NARC-K victory. Seen by many as a precursor to December's general election government-versus-ODM-K match, the by-election win gives the government an added boost in what many expect will be an easy victory over a disjointed ODM-K coalition. NARC-K's decision to support Kombe was simply one of political expediency; it wanted to back anyone who could beat ODM. Kombe is Shirikisho's only MP. His party's ideology consists largely of a call for reserving Coast Province land and jobs exclusively for natives of the Province. At the popular level, this translates as anti-Kikuyu sentiment. Kibaki's Kikuyu-led government supported a dependable ally whose political appeal largely derives from an anti-Kikuyu populist message. END COMMENT. ¶7. (U) The text of the diplomatic observer mission joint statement follows. Begin text. Representatives of the diplomatics missions of Canada, the European Commission, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States based in Nairobi participated as observers during the by-elections held on May 14, 2007 in Magarini constituency, at the invitation of the Electoral Commission of Kenya. Five teams of diplomatic observers visited 37 polling centers, witnessing the opening, balloting, closing, counting, and tallying. The Electoral Commission should be applauded for the administration of this by-election in extremely difficult weather conditions. We also commend the broad participation of domestic observers. We are encouraged by the peaceful manner in which this election was conducted. At the same time, we are concerned by allegations of electoral misconduct, and urge that all formal complaints with supporting evidence be investigated fully. In the spirit of our partnership with Kenya, we appreciate the opportunity to observe the electoral process as strictly impartial democratic partners. We will continue to follow Kenya's democratic process as the country approaches its next general election, during which we hope all registered voters will exercise their right to participate. This statement was agreed to by Canada, the European Commission, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. End text. RANNEBERGER