Two Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission officials in Kericho have been summoned by the High Court for disobeying a court order.
Kericho resident Judge Joseph Mutava on Friday summoned Bomet County Returning officer Robert Sironka Shunet and the IEBC Regional Co-ordinator in charge of Bomet County over failure to comply with its orders.
The Judge had on March 19 directed IEBC to supply the petitioner, Kanu Secretary-General Nick Salat, who lost the Bomet senatorial seat with forms 34, 35 and 36 used in the polls but the commission failed to comply with the order.
“I direct that the two be served summons to attend this court and show cause why they have been unable to comply with the orders of this court” read the order signed by Justice Mutava.
The judge directed the two to appear before the court on April 17 at 9am.
The order was issued after Salat’s lead counsel in the case Erastus Orina sought to have the IEBC officials appear in court to explain why they have not supplied the petitioner with forms 34, 35 and 36.
“We filed the case without those crucial papers which should be public documents in the first place, but we will amend it once we receive them to strengthen our case,” explained Orina.
Inconsistencies
In his petition, Salat alleges fraud, intimidation and coercion as some of the issues that lead him to lose the seat.
He adds that the results announced by IEBC declaring URP’s Prof Wilson Rotich Lesan as the duly elected Senator for Bomet County did not reflect the will of area residents.
According to the court documents, the petitioner claims that in some polling stations, the IEBC denied him some votes, adding that the inconsistencies would be revealed by the forms 34, 35 and 36 once they are released to them.
The IEBC is the first respondent in the suit, while Lesan is the second respondent. The Bomet County Returning Officer Robert Shunet and Chepalungu Constituency Returning Officer Kennedy Onchayo are named as the third and fourth respondents.
Kericho resident Judge Joseph Mutava on Friday summoned Bomet County Returning officer Robert Sironka Shunet and the IEBC Regional Co-ordinator in charge of Bomet County over failure to comply with its orders.
The Judge had on March 19 directed IEBC to supply the petitioner, Kanu Secretary-General Nick Salat, who lost the Bomet senatorial seat with forms 34, 35 and 36 used in the polls but the commission failed to comply with the order.
“I direct that the two be served summons to attend this court and show cause why they have been unable to comply with the orders of this court” read the order signed by Justice Mutava.
The judge directed the two to appear before the court on April 17 at 9am.
The order was issued after Salat’s lead counsel in the case Erastus Orina sought to have the IEBC officials appear in court to explain why they have not supplied the petitioner with forms 34, 35 and 36.
“We filed the case without those crucial papers which should be public documents in the first place, but we will amend it once we receive them to strengthen our case,” explained Orina.
Inconsistencies
In his petition, Salat alleges fraud, intimidation and coercion as some of the issues that lead him to lose the seat.
He adds that the results announced by IEBC declaring URP’s Prof Wilson Rotich Lesan as the duly elected Senator for Bomet County did not reflect the will of area residents.
According to the court documents, the petitioner claims that in some polling stations, the IEBC denied him some votes, adding that the inconsistencies would be revealed by the forms 34, 35 and 36 once they are released to them.
The IEBC is the first respondent in the suit, while Lesan is the second respondent. The Bomet County Returning Officer Robert Shunet and Chepalungu Constituency Returning Officer Kennedy Onchayo are named as the third and fourth respondents.
Source: Standard digital