Anne Waiguru takes Karua to task in election petition

Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru today accused Narc-Kenya leader Martha Karua of basing her rigging claims on speculation.

Through lawyers Paul Nyamodi and Andrew Muchiri, Governor Waiguru said Ms Karua’s grounds in the petition are speculations that cannot be proved in court.

The lawyers tasked Ms Karua before a Kerugoya court to explain why she had not attached election forms 37As and 37Bs in the petition since she had claimed a section of them were forged.

They said Ms Karua had failed to identify polling stations where she claimed there was forgery of the statutory election forms.

AGENTS BARRED
They also disputed claims that Governor Waiguru’s votes were inflated by 48,000, saying Ms Karua had not provided details of the polling stations where the inflation was done.

During cross examination, Mr Nyamodi questioned Ms Karua on claims that her agents were barred from polling stations.

Ms Karua had told the court that her poll agents were blocked from about 200 polling stations and therefore they could not tell whether there was ballot stuffing at the start of the election.

Mr Nyamondi said Ms Karua had failed to provide particulars of the agents who were affected by the alleged malpractice.

The court heard that the agents allegedly excluded from the election exercise by the presiding officers had not filed their affidavits to support the claims.

The lawyers told court that Ms Karua got reports of exclusion of her agents from third parties and she did not witness the incidents, which she admitted.

FORGERY
In her response, Ms Karua said her poll officials were denied access despite having the requisite documents including letter of appointment and oath of secrecy.

“I have particulars of some stations like Kimunye Tea Buying Centre, Ndaba and Itangi. Also some of my agents like Lucy Njeri are witnesses in this petition,” she said.

Governor Waiguru further challenged the former MP to explain why none of the appointment letters issued to the agents was filed in court together with the petition to form part of the evidence.

“Luckily, the letters you are asking for have been filed by two of your witnesses who were my agents,” Ms Karua said.

Ms Karua told the court that she had not annexed the said forged electoral forms in the petition because they were provided later to her by the electoral body through a court order.