Muruli’s long legal walk in bid to unseat Oparanya
Ms Mable Muruli walks out of Kisumu law courts after court of appeal upheld Mr Oparanya's victory on March 14, 2014. Even after being declared ineligible to contest the Kakamega County governor’s seat, Ms Muruli has not given up on her quest to unseat Governor Wycliffe Oparanya. FILE PHOTO | JACOB OWITI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- When the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) tribunal rejected her application, Ms Muruli moved to the High Court and got orders allowing her to vie for the post, but that did not happen as she was locked out
- According to Ms Muruli, there was conspiracy to block her and her supporters from participating in the election and that most voters were frustrated by her exclusion and ended up spoiling the ballot papers by writing her name on them
Even after being declared ineligible to contest the Kakamega County governor’s seat, Ms Mable Muruli has not given up on her quest to unseat Governor Wycliffe Oparanya.
Her fight to become the county’s chief executive started at electoral commission’s dispute resolution tribunal after her nomination papers were rejected on grounds that her degree certificate was not recognised by the Commission on Higher Education.
That fight has taken Ms Muruli to the High Court twice, Court of Appeal and now the Supreme Court where it is pending.
When the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) tribunal rejected her application, Ms Muruli moved to the High Court and got orders allowing her to vie for the post, but that did not happen as she was locked out.
UNFAIRLY EXCLUDED
After the elections, she went back to the High Court seeking to nullify Mr Oparanya’s election on grounds that she was unfairly excluded from the contest despite a court order.
She also alleged that Mr Oparanya was not validly elected claiming that the elections were marred by malpractices, voter bribery and that it did not meet the standards and principles of free and fair elections.
According to Ms Muruli, there was conspiracy to block her and her supporters from participating in the election and that most voters were frustrated by her exclusion and ended up spoiling the ballot papers by writing her name on them.
High Court Judge Said Juma Chitembwe, however, dismissed the petition saying Ms Muruli did not participate in the election due to a consent she entered into with the IEBC and that her right to participate in the election could not override the rights of the 468,146 voters.
Justice Chitembwe ruled that her petition was premeditated and planned in advance whereby her campaigners were given spy watches to spy on the candidates.
Dissatisfied with the ruling, Ms Muruli moved to the Court of Appeal where her appeal was also rejected.
She then moved to the Supreme Court where the case is listed for hearing on October 28.
