Wycliff Oparanya survives poll petition

By MAUREEN ODIWOUR and DOMICK MITIRO

Kisumu, Kenya: The Court of Appeal in Kisumu upheld the election of Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya in a case filed by his opponent Mable Muruli.

For the second time, Ms Muruli lost the petition after lead judge Jamil Mohamed and justices Festus Azangalala and Sankale ole Kantai dismissed the appeal.

They stated that the petitioner voluntarily agreed to end a case against Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) after her name did not appear on the ballot box.

“She has to live with the consequences,” Kantai said.

Before the March 4 elections last year, Muruli was turned down by IEBC for lack of a university degree, which was a mandatory requirement to vie for governor.

This is the second time her case was being dismissed. The first was on September 14 last year in Kakamega High Court, where Justice Juma Chitembwe ruled that the petitioner did not prove her case.

Chitembwe said Muruli did not have agents at polling stations hence she did not participate in the exercise.