Lawyers praise poll conduct as new male representative is elected

Lawyer Maureen Munga at the Meru Law Courts on May 9, 2019 as she cast her vote for the male representative to the Judicial Service Commission. [Olivia Murithi, Standard]

Very few hitches were encountered as lawyers across the country went to the ballot to pick their male representative to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).

The race attracted four candidates: the incumbent Tom Ojienda, Njeru Macharia and Charles Mongare. The fourth candidate Irungu Gathii withdrew after nominations.

The elections were conducted in 28 polling stations across the country, with the main tallying centre at the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) Secretariat in Lavington, Nairobi.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) presided over the election.

At the Meru Law Courts polling station, which had had 121 registered voters, the poll took place in one of the courtrooms.

In Kisumu, LSK branch members said the process was transparent. In Kisii, LSK chairman South West Kenya branch Wilkinson Ochoki said by 11.30am 53 members had already voted.

Ochoki, however, said IEBC only provided 100 ballot papers for 150 members.

At the Kakamega Law Courts, lawyers representing the Office of the Attorney General and Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) were locked out of the polling.

In Mombasa, the poll was closely observed by a human rights group in the region, Haki Africa.