Court battles begin as 120 election petitions filed
What you need to know:
- Top on the list are 62 cases filed at the magistrates courts, challenging the elections of MCAs.
- A total of 35 MPs, four senators and three woman representatives are facing court cases.
- Ms Elizabeth Ongoro is challenging the election of her rival TJ Kajwang as Ruaraka MP.
A total of 120 election petitions arising from the August 8 General Elections have been filed contesting various positions.
Top on the list are 62 cases filed at the magistrates courts, across the country, challenging the elections of members of the county assemblies.
The highest number of county assembly seats being challenged are in Kakamega, Kisii and Turkana counties, with each having five contested outcomes.
A total of 35 MPs are facing court cases, while four senators and three woman representatives will also be battling petitions in court.
GOVERNORS
The elections of 15 governors are also being challenged before the High Court, the latest being that of Wajir Governor Mohamed Abdi Mahamud of Jubilee Party whose election is being challenged by former Governor Ahmed Abdullahi and Ahmed Muhumed. Mahamud beat the two to emerge the victor on August 8.
In Nairobi, former nominated Senator Elizabeth Ongoro moved to court to challenge the election of her rival TJ Kajwang for the Ruaraka Parliamentary seat.
During the just concluded polls, Mr Kajwang of ODM was declared winner after garnering 32,190, while Ms Ongoro of Amani National Congress got 28,127 votes.
SEXIST TACTICS
But in the petition, Ms Ongoro alleges that Mr Kajwang’ used “sexist tactics, violence, intimidation and coercion” to secure the seat.
She says Mr Kajwang engaged in sexist tactics and used violence to keep her supporters, who were mostly women from actively engaging in politics.
The former assistant minister alleges that elections in Ruaraka Constituency were not conducted in accordance with the Constitution, rendering the declared results invalid, null and void.
Others who field cases in Nairobi are Mr Ishrad Sumra of ODM, who challenges the election Julius Musili of Wiper Party as Embakasi South MP.
Mr Musili was declared winner after getting 25,836 votes against Sumra’s 25,590 votes.
BABU OWINO
Also challenging the outcome of the polls is Mr Francis Mureithi who lost the Embakasi East seat to ODM’S Babu Owino and Mr Steve Mbogo of ODM, who lost the race to singer Charles Jaguar Kanyi of Jubilee in Starehe Constituency.
And in Gatundu North, former MP Clement Waibara has also filed a petition to challenge the victory of Ms Anne Wanjiku Kibe (Party).
Mr Waibara is seeking to have the outcome of the election nullified.
Ms Kibe garnered over 39,000 votes while Mr Waibara got 9,000 votes.
