Kibwezi West vote recount shows Kalembe Ndile won election

Vote recount shows Kalembe Ndile won the Kibwezi West parliamentary election. (Photo:Standard)

By Daniel Nzia

Machakos, Kenya: Former Kibwezi legislator Kalembe Ndile could reclaim the seat he lost to area MP Patrick Musimba after a recount ordered by the High Court indicated he won the election.

The recount gave Kalembe 16,891 votes ahead of Musimba’s 16,773. The High Court sitting in Machakos will rule on July 9 whether there will be a by-election or if it will declare the eventual winner.

The MP becomes the first to lose an election petition since the first General Election under the new Constitution.  In the disputed March 4 poll, Musimba was declared the winner with a narrow margin.

Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) reported Musimba garnered 17,196 votes against Kalembe’s 16,976.

High Court Judge David Majanja dismissed an application by Dr Musimba seeking a recount of the presidential votes, arguing some of his votes were in the presidential ballot boxes.

Final judgment

Justice Majanja asked lawyers of the interested parties to make brief submissions before his final judgment on the matter.

The recount was supervised by High Court Registrar Rose Makungu. Kalembe and another loser in the Kibwezi West parliamentary race Ms Caroline Mwelu had moved to court to challenge the election of Musimba as MP.

Kalembe’s lawyers, Andrew Makundi and W Nyamu, said they were opposed to a by-election and instead prayed to the court to declare their client the eventual winner.