Accept and move on, Anne Waiguru tells Martha Karua
What you need to know:
- Through her lawyer Kamotho Waiganjo, the governor said she was validly elected and declared winner by the IEBC.
He added that political competitors should respect the voters’ choice.
- Waiguru says Karua's actions is meant to distract the county government from fulfilling its campaign pledges.
Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru has asked Narc-K leader Martha Karua to stop challenging last year's election results.
Through her lawyer Kamotho Waiganjo, the governor said she was validly elected and declared winner by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries commission.
While reacting to Ms Karua’s announcement that she would take the petition to the Court of Appeal after losing at High Court, the lawyer said the decision is meant to distract the county government from fulfilling its campaign pledges.
MOVING ON
“It is important for a politician to internalise the culture of moving on after defeat. This fascination that we must explain a prudent defeat either by people we do not think are worthy of ourselves or people we do not think can defeat us, is unfortunate,” Mr Waiganjo said.
He added that political competitors should respect the voters’ choice.
“If the matter goes to an appeal, we shall be vindicated. We believe the results announced by the IEBC reflected the people's will,” the lawyer said.
He urged Ms Karua not to proceed with the case.
EIGHT MONTHS
“There will be other elections at the local and national levels in future. She will have another opportunity to contest,” the lawyer said.
“The election was won fairly and freely. It is unfortunate we have taken the last eight months pursuing a futile cause. The allegations made were not proved. There was no sufficient evidence or witnesses called to prove them."
On claims that Governor Waiguru’s votes were inflated by more than 40,000 votes, Mr Waiganjo said the electoral reforms made it impossible to rig or commit a poll fraud.
DEVELOPMENT
“Anybody who has observed the recent Kenyan elections, particularly after the reforms that required ballots to be counted at the polling stations, knows that it is almost impossible to steal,” he said.
He added that adding such a number of votes for a candidate is impossible.
“The evidence would be all over. You would actually not require to look for it,” Mr Waiganjo said.
"All what the people of Kirinyaga want is development not the court battles. We want to move forward," he said.
