Fact Check: Allegations of Electoral Irregularities Surrounding President Ruto’s Vote Count in Baringo County
Friday night and most of Saturday morning were abuzz with speculation that President William Ruto garnered votes from schools listed as polling stations, though they were nowhere to be found in Baringo County.
This chatter gained momentum after NTV aired a segment revealing signboards of non-existent schools in the county.
Among the schools featured were Kaptiony Girls High School and Kampi Nyasi Secondary School, their signboards situated in vast grazing lands adorned with overgrown shrubbery.
The revelation prompted online circulation of a photo alleging that Kaptiony Girls High School served as a polling station during the 2022 General Elections according to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) portal.
In addition, another photo surfaced, indicating that President Ruto secured 37,635 votes in Baringo North Constituency out of the 50,237 votes cast. Notably, the image displayed 36,630 valid votes, casting doubt on the legitimacy of the tally.
A check conducted by Gossipa2z.com on the IEBC portal contradicted the claim, revealing that Kaptiony Girls High School was not listed as a polling station.
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Instead, only Kaptiony Primary School in Baringo North was registered, a mixed-day and boarding primary school.
An altered image of the IEBC portal circulated online, depicting five polling stations in Barwessa Ward, including Ayatya Primary School, Bartogo Primary School, Barwessa Primary School, Kaptiony Girls High School, and Chemura Primary School.
However, upon scrutiny, it was evident that Chebukar Primary School had been manipulated to appear as Kaptiony Girls High School.
These speculations sparked a heated debate on social media, with supporters of Azimio alleging unfair treatment in the 2022 polls.
In the same election, Ruto garnered 175,170 votes in Baringo County, constituting 80.69 percent of the total, while Raila Odinga of Azimio followed with 41,227 votes, with George Wajackoyah securing 474 votes and Waihiga David Mwaure obtaining 220 votes.
Fact Check: Allegations of Electoral Irregularities Surrounding President Ruto’s Vote Count in Baringo County