Wambui who applauded the party decision, appealed to the residents of Othaya to vote for her so that she can continue with her development agenda/FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 25 – The National Alliance (TNA) party has given Mary Wambui direct nomination for the April 29 Othaya parliamentary by-election.
Presenting the certificate on Tuesday at the party headquarters, TNA Chairman Johnson Sakaja expressed optimism that she will recapture the seat.
He explained that Jubilee would henceforth back one of the coalition partners in their strongholds in case of by-elections.
“In all by-elections that are coming, we are going to stand together as Jubilee with one candidate. Even in Kisii where one of us lost his seat… that is the agreement within the Jubilee coalition,” he affirmed.
“Our candidate will be a Jubilee a candidate; and we know we shall win.”
Wambui who applauded the party decision, appealed to the residents of Othaya to vote for her so that she can continue with her development agenda.
“God is the one who is leading us, and I know he is faithful. Am also happy about Othaya people for being with me,” she said. “I want to ask Othaya people… you are the one with votes; come this time and vote for me. Even when I faced all the court challenges, I have never left you.”
National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale during the briefing said: “Mary, you’ve been opposed for long, they even used DCs (District Commissioners) to disturb you, but tell them the DCs now belong to Jubilee government.”
On February 13, the Court of Appeal sitting in Nyeri overturned the March 4, 2013 election of Wambui as the MP for Othaya. READ: IEBC sets in motion Wambui’s exit as lawmaker.
The judges ruled that Wambui’s election was marred by irregularities and directed that a fresh election be conducted in the constituency. She was represented in the petition by lawyer Cecil Miller.
Poll loser Peter Gichuki King’ara had challenged Wambui’s victory in the High Court but his petition was dismissed, forcing him to move to the appellate court.
Justices Alnashir Visram, Martha Koome and Otieno Odek set aside the High Court judgment and directed that a certificate of nullification of Wambui’s election be issued immediately to the National Assembly.
The judges said that King’ara had valid reasons to appeal Justice Jairus Ngaah’s judgement delivered in September last year.
In the appeal, King’ara was asking for a recount of votes cast in the constituency, which he believes, could make him the winner in the March 4, 2013 poll.
“The judge erred in law in declining to order for scrutiny and recount of votes cast during elections while the circumstances and evidence adduced before him were sufficient to warrant such an order,” King’ara had said in his appeal.
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