A Kisii high court judge has dismissed an election petition by two voters against area women rep Doris Donya Aburi, citing failure to meet the threshold of standard prove on the allegations.
Justice Mutuku who delivered the judgment virtually, ruled claims by Job Nyabuto and Ezekiel Okenye, the petitioners, over irregularities, non-compliance, voter bribery, and violence were not proved.
In some of the allegations, the petitioners had relied on affidavits from the agents of two contestants, Everline Ogendo (Independent Candidate) and Janet Ong’era (Azimio La Umoja, Coalition)on an irregularity and bribery but fell short of proving the same.
The court ordered the petitioners to pay the women’s rep Ksh. 1.5 million and a similar amount to the IEBC costs.
Commenting on the judgment, Aburi’s lawyer, George Morara termed it ‘’well-reasoned’’ and full of ‘’wisdom’’ even as he said the election was credible.
The women’s rep remarked the petition was doomed to fail from the onset claiming the 190,277 votes she garnered could not be challenged by Ongera’s 69,995.
She vowed to deliver on water provision a pledge she made to the electorate during the election campaign.
BY MUSA MARANGA