DNK International By Tobby Otum, Mombasa.
A section of journalists was on Sunday barred from covering the Banking Insurance and Finance Union–Kenya (BIFU-K) Coast Region branch elections, triggering protests from aspirants who accused incumbent officials of manipulating the process in their favour.
Coast Region branch candidate Peter Kirui faulted the election secretariat for allegedly failing to give contestants adequate time to campaign, saying the notice for the weekend polls was issued abruptly and selectively.
“We were ambushed with the notice of the date set for the branch elections.
The incumbent branch officials have played a hidden card to deny us sufficient time to prepare,” Kirui said while addressing the media outside Wesley Methodist Church, Mombasa, where the elections were being held.
Kirui claimed that while candidates for some positions were disadvantaged, the incumbent branch chairman enjoyed more time and latitude to campaign.
Despite the challenges, he said delegates turned up in large numbers, dismissing claims that some officials had been declared unopposed.
“We submitted our nomination papers to the County Labour Officer and were cleared to vie. We are determined to vote out the current officials and replace them with a brilliant team,” he said, adding that he remained confident of defeating the incumbent chairman.
Another aspirant for the BIFU-K Coast chairmanship echoed Kirui’s sentiments but said he trusted the process and was optimistic of victory, noting that delegates’ turnout signaled a competitive contest.
Outgoing BIFU-K National Organizing Secretary Isaiah Munoru Mucheke described the situation as regrettable, arguing that branch members were not properly informed of the election forum as stipulated in the union’s constitution.
“Aspirants only realized the process was underway after seeing incumbent officials moving around with nomination papers,” Mucheke said.
He alleged that he had faced reprisals at the national office after declaring interest in vying for the General Secretary position during the upcoming National Delegates Conference (NDC).
Mucheke further claimed that tensions escalated to the point where some aspirants and supporters were chased away from the venue, forcing them to seek police intervention.
He accused colleagues of hijacking the process to tilt the outcome in their favour, saying confusion at the venue led to many delegates leaving before key stages of the exercise.
“If the results do not reflect the will of members, we intend to challenge the process in a court of law,” he said.
Former BIFU-K official Irene Mwangi alleged that constitutional amendments were tailored to edge her out of office, lamenting that she was compelled to retire while other officials older than her remained active.
“I was thrown out of the venue by hired goons,” she claimed.
Evans Ojiambo, another aggrieved member, said a similar election had earlier been held in Embu, dismissing claims that no polls took place there.
He alleged that members were locked out and that protests were ignored.
“Despite our objections, incumbents in Embu rigged the process in their favour,” Ojiambo said, adding that a formal complaint had been lodged with the Registrar of Trade Unions.
The union’s election officials had not issued an immediate response to the allegations by the time of publication.
[DNK-International@January 26,2026]
