NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 16 – The High Court has yet again sent a sitting Member of Parliament packing, this time in an election petition against Wajir South MP Abdirahman Ali.
High Court Judge Luka Kimaru nullified the lection of Mr Ali after finding that the 2007 poll was marred with electoral malpractices.
The petition was filed by Mohamud Sirat who had vied on an Orange Democratic Movement- Kenya(ODM-K) ticket. Mr Ali won on a KANU ticket but Mr Sirat moved to court disputing the results. A recount ordered by the court confirmed that Mr Hassan had won the vote.
Mr Ali becomes the sixth MP in the tenth Parliament to lose a seat through an election petition. Others are Bomachoge’s Joel Onyancha, Omingo Magara (South Mugirango), George Thuo (Juja), Dick Wathika (Makadara) and Chirau Ali Mwakwere (Matuga).
Mr Mwakwere has since recaptured his seat in a just concluded by-election. Similar polls for Juja and Makadara are yet to be held.
In his judgment Justice Kimaru said there were a number of malpractises which the disbanded Electoral Commission of Kenya failed to curb.
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