Mbugua now calls for recount of ballots

By WAHOME THUKU

Kamukunji MP Simon Mbugua is now pushing for a recount of the parliamentary ballots cast in his constituency in 2007.

Mr Mbugua of PNU says a recount would settle the dispute between him and ODM candidate Ibrahim Ahmed on who won the election.

And despite Mr Ahmed having made similar request in an election petition against Mbugua, he was hard-pressed to confirm yesterday if he still wanted the recount.

"I have made that prayer in my petition, but my advocate advices me he will decide when necessary if to apply for a recount," said Mr Ahmed.

Several times Mbugua’s lawyer Kibe Mungai asked the petitioner, in cross-examination, to confirm if he still wanted a recount. Ahmed maintained that his lawyer Steve Owino would make the decision.

Presiding judge Mary Ang’awa read out the question to him again from the court file, but Ahmed stuck to his answer that only his advocate would decide.

"I filed this petition to seek justice for the people of Kamukunji who were disfranchised by the former ECK commissioners in cohorts with Mbugua," he said accusing the MP of having instructed lawyer Mungai to waste time in the petition.

The ECK had called off the tallying in December 2007 after chaos erupted at Shauri Moyo Social Hall. Mbugua went to court and obtained orders compelling the ECK to complete the tallying.

Congratulated him

In August 2008 the court quashed the decision to call off the tallying and ordered the ECK to complete the process. Mbugua was declared winner with 22,614 votes while Ahmed garnered 16,604 votes. The area had 25 parliamentary candidates including the now Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission Director Patrick Lumumba.

Mbugua has accused Ahmed and the other candidates of being behind the chaos so as to force ECK officials to order a repeat of the elections. His lawyer said the grievance in the petition was because even after the disruption Mbugua still ended in Parliament. Mbugua claims that before the tallying was over Ahmed met him at Shauri Moyo and congratulated him for winning the seat.

Ahmed denied this saying tallying was done without form 16As.