Official cancelled results

Matuga constituency returning officer cancelled the results of one of the polling stations in last year’s General Election.

Mr Ali Maalim Hassan disclosed in his affidavit filed at the High Court in Mombasa that he cancelled the Kombani polling station results allegedly because they were fraudulent.
He said that when he opened the boxes, he found out that there were more ballot papers than the counterfoils and that the unused ballot papers were missing. The presiding officers, he stated, could not account for them and that there was undue delay by the officers in taking the results to the tallying centre.

In the petition filed before Mr Justice Joseph Sergon, voter Ayub Juma Mwakesi wants the election of Transport minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere declared null and void as the entire exercise was marred by irregularities.

The petitioner, through lawyer Mohammed Balala, alleges that the returning officer declined to include two boxes from the Kombani polling station, where the MP’s rival, Mr Hassan Mwanyoha, was leading.
Mr Justice Sergon directed that the application filed by the MP to have the petition struck out be heard on April 7.

Meanwhile, Bahari MP Benedict Gunda wants the election petition filed against him by a poll loser struck out.
The MP told the High Court in Mombasa that the petition was filed out of time and that it was not served upon him personally as required by law.

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Story by EUNICE MACHUHI
Publication Date: 3/13/2008