KISUMU, Kenya, Nov 26 – A Kisumu Court has stopped Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) grassroots elections in Muhoroni constituency after four members filed a suit challenging the entire exercise.
The four members went to court under a certificate of urgency where they secured the orders before senior resident magistrate R.B.Maloba.
The plaintiffs namely Joseph Obala, Peter Oguk, James Obala and William Magak argued that the polls had been marred by malpractices claiming that a list of members had already been prepared ahead of the polls.
Through lawyer Ken Omollo, the four alleged that eligible voters had been locked out of the exercise, which was scheduled to kick off on Saturday.
The defendants named in the suit are party Chairman Henry Kosgey, Secretary General Anyang’ Nyongo and the treasurer Omingo Magara, who the four want barred from carrying out the polls until the suit is heard and determined.
A Maua magistrate’s court has also stopped the ongoing ODM grassroots elections in Meru County after a camp allied to party Eastern province Coordinator Mpuru Aburi moved to court claiming they had been excluded from the delegates’ list.
The delegates alleged that a rival camp had alienated them from the original list and had drafted a separate list on non-ODM members in order to lock them out.
Through lawyer Gitonga Mwikamba, the seven officials drawn from the seven constituencies in the region accused Cyprian Kobia Mberia of appointing the elections coordinator without following the right procedure.
“Upon perusal of the party and election register we found that the applicants’ names are missing. Unless the defendants are stopped from conducting the elections, it is likely to bring in non members,” alleged Isaack Kalung’e in a sworn affidavit.
Kalung’e filed the application alongside Ibrahim Mucheke, Moses Karuma, Jeremiah Muganthia, Patrick Mwenda, Luke Mungania and Eliud Murungi.
The seven have also listed the ODM Secretary General as a defendant together with the Director of elections.
Maua Senior Principal Magistrate John King’ori said the suit had merit and classified it urgent.
“A temporary order of injunction is hereby issued restraining the first and second defendants from either by themselves, agents or any other person claiming under their names from conducting any grassroot party election for ODM in Meru county pending the hearing and determination of this application interpartes or until further orders,” he said.
Several politicians in Mombasa have also been locked out of the ODM election prompting protest from the party supporters who are demanding for a repeat in some areas in the town.
Some of the protesters beat up nominated councilor Okoth Waudi accusing him of rigging the polls.
Among those who are crying foul play included the supporters of former Likoni MP Suleiman Shakombo who protested over how the elections had been done in the area.
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