Vote recount confirms Babu Owino won election

Vote recount confirms Babu Owino won election

A recount of votes cast in last year’s Embakasi East parliamentary election shows embattled Member of Parliament  Babu Owino won the disputed contest.

The report, filed in court by the deputy registrar on Monday, February 26 showed that after the recount, Babu Owino got 46,817 votes against the petitioner, Francis Mureithi, who garnered 42,501 votes.

According to the report, both Babu Owino and Mureithi registered an increase in votes after the recount was done.

The deputy registrar submitted that the scrutiny and recount exercise was by and large a success, except for a regrettable incident where one of the deputy registrar’s phone was stolen.

“The registrars are however positive that the data collected and the report presented before the trial court will be helpful in the determination of the election petition,” reads the conclusion.

Parties in the case are expected to make their oral submissions on Wednesday, February 28 before a verdict is delivered on Friday, February 2.

Justice Joseph Sergon ordered a vote recount in the entire constituency following a petition filed by Mureithi challenging the election of Babu Owino as MP.

Mureithi, who was represented by lawyer Ham Lagat and Kiragu Kimani, had filed an application for scrutiny and recount of votes cast during last year’s election.

Sergon said he was satisfied that Mureithi had given sufficient reasons to warrant a recount.

While making the recount order, the judge pointed out that the Embakasi East returning officer, Nicholas Butuk, had admitted in court that the results he announced did not tally with the ones in the Form 35A and that were errors in the forms.

Tags:

JUBILEE odm Embakasi East Election Petition Babu owino petition vote recount

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