Hours before UDA party nominations across the country on April 14, 2022, the party has suffered a major setback after a lorry transporting ballot materials to Embu was ransacked and polling materials torched by irate residents.
In a video shared on social media, polling materials including ballot boxes and papers were burnt after a section of aspirants from Embu accused a senior politician from the region of planning to rig the primaries in favour of her allies.
According to reports, the incident happened at Mbeere South, a total of approximately 15 kilometers from Izaak Walton Hotel.
The rowdy youth is said to have stopped the lorry carrying the materials, before ransacking and setting them on fire.
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The lorry, however, was not touched as the driver managed to speed away after the incident. Police have, however, secured the scene.
This comes however after concerns were raised by politicians from the region, decrying looming unfairness in Thursday's nominations.
Already, former Runyenjes MP Cecily Mbarire has threatened to leave UDA if the process will not be free and fair.
On his part, Mbarire's competitor and Manyatta MP John Muchirihad also called on the party to be transparent in managing the Thursday primaries. The two will face off for the UDA ticket in Embu gubernatorial race.
Another similar incident was also witnessed at Jeremiah Nyagah Technical Institute, the tallying centre for Mbeere South Sub-County where the distribution of voting materials was delayed after several people presented themselves to the center posing to be Presiding Officers and UDA clerks.
A scuffle ensued for some time after two factions clashed with each other claiming they have the right to pick the polling materials.
