Ford People MP Zepedeo Opore did not win the Bonchari parliamentary election, a recount of votes cast ordered by an Election Court has shown.
Former Bonchari MP Charles Onyancha
Of the 11 contestants, Mr John Oyioka of Kanu emerged top after garnering 8,967 votes to beat Opore who garnered to 8,963, am mere four votes difference.
Former Bonchari MP Charles Onyancha got 6,883 votes to come third according to a recount report compiled by Deputy Registrar Lucy Kaitany and tabled before the court sitting in Kisii yesterday.
Oyioka had sued the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), the Returning Officer Peter Resa and Opore urging the court to recount the votes and declare him winner.
Trial Judge Justice Ruth Sitati on July 2 ordered for the recount to ascertain the number of votes cast for each of the candidates in the 82 polling stations of the constituency. She also ordered for scrutiny of 64 ballot boxes.
However, Mr Resa delivered 81 ballot boxes to the court, with 22 of them having one seal missing.
During the recount and scrutiny that lasted 10 days before the parties in the petition, it was established that Form 35 from five polling stations were missing including Nyamagundo Farmers’ Cooperative, Nyamerako, Rianyabaro, Bogitaa, and Riamontinga primary schools.
In 57 of 64 polling stations candidates’ agents did not sign Form 35 and Presiding Officers only explained why all the agents didn’t append their signatures on four forms.
Form 35 in 12 polling stations didn’t bear the IEBC stamp as required by law.
In ten polling stations, counterfoils of used ballot papers exceeded the number of votes cast meaning some ballot papers were missing. In Bogitaa and Kerina Primary Schools polling stations, counterfoils were missing.
By ROBERT NYASATO, The Standard
