Controversy on Taita Taveta ODM gubernatorial primary escalates

Governor of Taita Taveta County John Murutu

 

Wundanyi MP Thomas Mwadeghu has said he will not accept a repeat of the ODM governorship primaries in five polling stations in Taita-Taveta County.

Speaking to The Standard on the phone yesterday, Mr Mwadeghu argued that the nominations are over and he should be declared the party's nominee for the governorship race.

"I am not going for repeat for primaries in the county. The party's National Election Board should declare me ODM gubernatorial candidate," stated the legislator.

Elections did not take off in the five centres due to a combination of factors including heavy rains, late arrival of voting materials and alleged sabotage.

Mwadeghu, who beat Governor John Mruttu in the provisional results announced by the Returning officer Lawrence Sempele on Wednesday night, said he fairly won the primaries.

The returning officer awarded the provisional certificate to the MP at the Mwatate CDF Hall on Wednesday, showing that Mwadeghu was with 17,567 votes against Mruttu's 14,817.

Mr Sempele had earlier announced that primaries in five polling stations would resume on Saturday but they were cancelled at the eleventh hour.

"Whether somebody has been given a provincial certificate or not will not stop voting on Saturday. It is the national election board that will give the final certificate," said Sempele in an earlier interview.

Mruttu's camp protested, insisting the certificate should only have been awarded after the final voting in Taveta constituency's five polling stations.