VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHNR #3214 2061305
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 251305Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3225
INFO RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA PRIORITY 8683
RUEHDR/AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM PRIORITY 4759
RUEHDJ/AMEMBASSY DJIBOUTI PRIORITY 4294
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA PRIORITY 1473
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 1963
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 1943
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA  PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY

UNCLAS NAIROBI 003214 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM KE
SUBJECT: PRELIMINARY PARLIAMENTARY BY-ELECTION RESULTS HAND 
VICTORY TO NARC-KENYA 
 
REF: NAIROBI 3090 
 
¶1. (U) Preliminary results from the parliamentary 
by-elections held on July 24 give the newly formed NARC-Kenya 
party a lead over its rivals in three out of the five 
constituencies left vacant following an April plane crash in 
which the sitting members of parliament were killed (reftel). 
 NARC-Kenya won in Nakuru Town, North Horr, and Saku 
constituencies, while KANU took the lead in Moyale and 
Laisamis constituencies.  Voter turnout throughout the 
constituencies was low, but not unreasonably so, considering 
by-election standards.  Embassy observers, deployed in three 
of the constituencies, reported calm conditions in almost all 
polling locations.  Reports of a few isolated, minor 
incidents of violence did little to affect polling or voter 
turnout. 
 
¶2. (U) A break down of the voting is as follows: 
 
Nakuru Town: NARC-Kenya 21,599; LDP 16,769; and KANU a 
distant third at 4,526. 
North Horr: NARC-Kenya 5,578; KANU 4,628. 
Saku: NARC-Kenya 5,760; KANU 5,007. 
Laisamis KANU 6,821; NARC-Kenya 5,010. 
Moyale (with only two-thirds of the final vote results 
recorded): KANU 8,301; NARC-Kenya 4,546. 
 
¶3. (U) The polling results underscore the importance of unity 
within the opposition (LDP and KANU) should they seek to 
prevail at the polls in late 2007.  In Nakuru Town, the 
respective LDP and KANU candidates split the vote to deliver 
a victory for the NARC-Kenya candidate (the late MP's son). 
The combined votes for KANU and LDP nearly matched the total 
for NARC-Kenya, pointing to the possibility that, had they 
pulled together, as they had initially indicated they would 
under the banner of ODM, they could have defeated the 
NARC-Kenya candidate.  Elsewhere, the success of the 
newly-created (and government-supported) Narc-Kenya party may 
give some credence to the persistent rumors of the misuse of 
government funds in campaigning for the party throughout 
northern Kenya. 
 
¶4.  (U) A more detailed analysis of the by-election outcome 
and it's implications for the domestic political scene will 
be sent upon the return of the Embassy's observer teams. 
HOOVER