By STANDARD on SATURDAY TEAM
A GNU candidate proved he was really the people’s choice when he was voted back to the Meru County Assembly in Igoji West Ward during Thursday’s by-election.
Alphaxard Kaumbuthu Chabari won back the seat with 2,307 votes, defeating Mwambi Ezekiel (TNA) who gannered 1,902, Hannington M Gitari (APK) 1,645 and Muriithi Nkanata (URP) 5,57 votes.
Returning officer Onditi Kennedy commended the residents and candidates for maintaining peace saying they had not faced any cases of elections malpractice.
After he was declared the winner, Chabari immediately shook hands with his closest challenger and promised to work with the losers in developing the ward.
Wrong photo
“The projects I had begun before the petition will now continue smoothly and we are going to start more as I promised in my manifesto,” he said.
Chabari’s election was nullified after Gitaari moved to court on claims that it was unfair and improper citing breaches of electoral law.
In his ruling, Acting Senior Principal Magistrate DO Onyango accused the IEBC of embossing a wrong photograph of the candindate on the ballot paper. The court agreed that the petitioner’s photograph had been replaced by that of Julius Kimathi M’Mugwika who was contesting for Mitunguu Ward in Imenti South Constituency. M’Mugwika who swore an affidavit to support the petition.
Meanwhile, a URP ward representative retained his seat in Laikipia North in the by-election ordered by a court that had nullified his election.
Paul Shuel retained the Mukogodo East seat in Laikipia North constituency, garnering 2,184 votes.Shuel beat Ephantus Kariithi of TNA who got 1,562 votes and Stephen Ngila of ODM who garnered 1,148 votes. Announcing the results at Doldol Township yesterday, the returning officer said the ward with 7,142 registered voters had a voter turnout of 68.72 per cent.
In September, a Nanyuki court nullified Shuel’s election, saying the polls lacked transparency and fairness, was not free and was marred with irregularities and malpractices.
Broken seals
Senior resident magistrate Vincent Kiptoon agreed with Kariithi, the petitioner, that the election was not conducted in a fair and proper manner.
Kariithi had also argued that that some ballot boxes had broken seals upon reaching the tallying centres. The magistrate then observed that the winner was given the certificate before the results were formally announced.
Elsewhere, URP retained Mogondo ward civic seat in Emurua Dikirr constituency during Thursday’s by-election.
Kennedy Kipsang Mibei garnered 2,219 votes to trounce his rival Underson Kibet Rono of Progressive Party of Kenya (PPK) who got 1,472.
Kipsang’s victory in the March 4 polls was overturned by a Kilgoris law court following a successful petition by Rono.
Reporting by Kathure Mukuru, Job Weru and Leonard Korir.
