Court nullifies election of Homa Bay Governor Cyprian Awiti

Homa Bay Governor Cyprian Awiti

The High Court has nullified election of Homa Bay Governor Cyprian Awiti and ordered for fresh elections.

The Judge while making the ruling Tuesday morning at the Homa Bay court said the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) did not conduct a free and fair election according to the law.

Justice Joseph Karanja also said the petitioner had provided enough evidence for the nullification of the Homa Bay governor’s election.

The petition was filed by former Kasipul MP Oyugi Magwanga, who had cited irregularities in the August 8 elections for the governor’s seat.  

Awiti garnered 210,173 votes against Magwanga’s 189,060. Magwanga was running as an independent after failing to clinch the ODM nomination in a bruising battle that split the county into roughly two equally strong support bases.

Tom Onyango of Jubilee was third with 1,432 votes.  Another independent Medo Misama managed  668 votes.

In his victory speech said he would serve the people of Homa Bay diligently.

Magwanga, however, rejected the results claiming that they had been manipulated at the tallying tables.