NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 31 – A recount of presidential votes ordered by the Supreme Court has revealed inconsistencies in filing of the Form 34A in Majengo polling station, Mombasa despite a declared tally.
The court-supervised exercise at the headquarters of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) showed that there were no Forms 34A in two ballot boxes in the station.
The officials also noticed that Form 34A in Mvita primary school was not stamped.
But even as the recount went on, lawyers representing Raila Odinga, the main petitioner in the Supreme Court protested that the electoral commission had declined to open servers for scrutiny as ordered by the seven-judge bench.
“My lords we have a challenge because the IEBC has not granted access to the servers,” said James Orengo who is Raila’s lead counsel in the consolidated petition.
He urged the judges to resolve the impasse because of time.
“We are urging the court to resolve this matter because there has been no compliance of the orders issued yesterday,” he said.
Justice Isaac Lenaola said the court was aware of the challenges, assuring that it will be resolved ahead of Thursday’s 2pm deadline.
The seven-judge bench is hearing a consolidated petition of Odinga and eight others seeking to have President-Elect William Ruto’s victory nullified over numerous allegations of inaccuracies.
Ruto’s lawyers were set to make submissions to oppose the petition Thursday as judges race against time to issue a verdict on Monday.