Kamanda still top in Starehe vote recount

Former Cabinet minister Maina Kamanda on Wednesday widened the lead in the recount of votes cast in Starehe constituency in the 2007 polls.

By the end of Wednesday, Mr Kamanda had beaten current Starehe MP and Housing assistant minister Margaret Wanjiru by close to 6,000 votes.

The recount entered its second week yesterday with some 45 of the 210 ballot boxes being opened. By , Mr Kamanda was leading with 12,248 votes against Bishop Wanjiru’s 6,252.

Several anomalies have been noted in the recount, including missing ballot papers in the boxes, and votes counted in court not tallying with those contained in forms 16A.

In another petition, Wajir South MP Abdirahman Hassan was leading by 2,999 votes against the petitioner, Mr Mohamed Sirat’s 2,390. Some 41 ballot boxes of the 82 used during the December 2007 elections have been opened.

And in Juja constituency, three officials who presided over the elections during the hotly contested polls said they carried out their work in a free and fair manner.

Three presiding officers who were in charge of elections in areas alleged to been marred by irregularities said the allegations were baseless and should be disregarded. Mr Bernard Kariuki, who was in charge of Ngoliba Primary School polling station, denied allegations by former MP William Kabogo that he threw out Kabogo’s agents from the station.

The hearing continues on Thursday.