I've evidence my win was rigged, says Kitui ward candidate

An independent MCA candidate in Kitui county who lost in last week’s general election says he will go to court to seek redress. 

David Muema Nduku was contesting the Kyuso ward representative seat in Mwingi North, but was declared the runners-up as Wiper Party’s  Munyoki Mwinzi was declared the winner.

The constituency returning officer Martin Malonza last Thursday declared Mwingi the winner with 2,940 votes despite protests from Mwema who was ranked second with 2,883 votes.

But on Tuesday, Muema told the media that he had watertight evidence that Mwinzi who was declared the winner had his votes fraudulently inflated at the expense of his genuine win.

Muema said he was moving to court with the unassailable evidence.

In a bid to prove his point , he shared with the media a copy of a Form 36A for Katuka nursery school polling station that showed Mwinzi had 628 votes, while the total registered voters at the station were 133.

The form also showed that the total number of valid votes cast at the said polling station was 97, giving a credence to Nduku’s claim that there could have been falsification of the candidate’s votes.

Muema said that since the wish of the people of Kyuso ward had been circumvented as they wanted him to be their MCA, he had approached a lawyer to file an election petition against the IEBC and Mwinzi.

With a 28 days window to file petition since the election day; Muema has approached Nairobi lawyer Antony Mugo who has agreed to take up the matter as soon as he gets full instructions.

Muema on Tuesday led his supporters in a demonstration at his home in Kamuwongo market, Mwingi North, to protest against his alleged rigging.

The protesters  lit a bonfire at the Kamuwongo Bridge to barricade the busy Mwingi-Kyuso Road making it impossible for vehicles to pass through.

They chanted 'haki yetu, haki yetu ya kura' and denounced the electoral agency for rigging Nduku out of the election. 

(edited by Amol Awuor)