Court told Martha Karua won in stations agents were 'barred'

Narc Kenya party leader Marth Karua won in most of the polling stations she claims her agents were denied access to by electoral commission officials, the High Court in Kerugoya was told Tuesday.

Justice Lucy Gitari heard that in polling stations like Mukunduri, Kianjege, Kiaga, Gitwe, Gatuto, Kimunye and Kibingu, among others, where the agents were locked out, Ms Karua defeated her rival, Anne Waiguru.

MORE VOTES

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), through lawyer Joe Kathungu, while cross-examining Ms Karua, asked how she garnered more votes in the stations where her agents were barred from by the poll presiding officers.

Ms Karua said one-third of her agents were excluded in the electoral process, as she admitted defeating Governor Waiguru in the disputed polling stations read out to her by Lawyer Kathungu.

She said that after perusing election documents provided to her by the IEBC, she had discovered there was fraud and wide conspiracy to deny her victory.

“The election was not credible and verifiable. There was use of unauthorised persons to man polling stations, forgery and breach of mandatory statutory and constitutional requirements in voting, counting and tallying,” Ms Karua explained to the court.

The court heard that Governor Waiguru’s votes were inflated in her strongholds and Ms Karua’s strongholds.

IEBC pushed Ms Karua to name particular polling stations where the votes were inflated, but she did not, arguing that the malpractice was widespread.

During the cross-examination session, there was a light moment after Ms Karua cautioned the lawyer against referring to Governor Waiguru as the winner of the disputed election.

Hearing continues Wednesday.