Lamu Governor Twaha wants appeal dismissed

Lamu County Governor Fahim Twaha during the hearing on an appeal case challenging his election. [Kelvin Karani, Standard]

Governor Fahim Twaha wants an appeal against his election as governor dismissed.

Twaha argues that his rival, Issa Timami, did not prove that there were irregularities and illegalities during the August 2017 election.

The governor’s lawyer, Morris Kilonzo, yesterday told Court of Appeal Judges Alnashir Visram, Wanjiru Karanja and Martha Koome that his client won the election by a wide margin.

“The irregularities and illegalities the appellant has said were not demonstrated and proved in the superior court as required by law,” said Kilonzo.

He said the appeal filed by Timami lacked merit and ought to be dismissed because the appellant failed to tender evidence worth being used in nullifying the election of Twaha as Lamu governor.

But Timami’s lawyer, Abubakar Yusuf, criticised the trial judge for ignoring evidence adduced in court during hearing of the petition.

Abubakar told the court that the trial judge did not consider the evidence of missing forms showing results from each polling station during the scrutiny.

Abubakar said results in 25 forms, which contained poll results from disputed areas, were not brought to the court for scrutiny.