The Maendeleo Chap Chap party leader told the court that no public officer acted as a party agent adding his victory as governor met the constitutional test of accuracy/CFM NEWS
MACHAKOS, Kenya, Jan 9 – Machakos Governor Dr Alfred Mutua appeared in the dock for the first time in a petition challenging his election filed by his main challenger in the 2017 poll, Wavinya Ndeti.
The Maendeleo Chap Chap party leader told the court that no public officer acted as a party agent adding his victory as governor met the constitutional test of accuracy.
Wavinya ran for the top county seat on a Wiper party ticket and was trounced by Mutua.
Mutua who was questioned by Wavinya’s lawyer Willis Otieno denied that he bribed voters to elect him.
“I did not give anyone money. I urged voters to elect me based on my development scorecard,” said Mutua.
He added that he did not coerce or intimidate any employee to campaign or vote for him.
Mutua was represented in court by a battery of lawyers led by senior counsel Waweru Gatonye.
Wavinya’s lawyers in their petition had argued that Machakos County employees had campaigned for him and were his agents at polling stations.
But Mutua said that public servants were barred from participating in active politics adding that the order had been forwarded to all employees in a circular signed by his County Secretary.
“Thus your honour, I did not instruct any employee to campaign for me, “Mutua told Justice Aggrey Muchelule.
He also denied that he used a table banking program to provide credit to small scale women traders to lure them to vote for him.
Mutua said the program was ongoing and was not linked to the polls.
On party agents, Mutua said their appointment was purely done by the party secretariat and he had no role to play in picking them.
He urged the court to dismiss the petition on the basis of lack of evidence.
Present also in court were lawyers representing the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission led by Kimani Muhoro.
The hearing continues.
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