Election of 98 MPs challenged in court

A voter casts his ballot in the August 8 General Election. A record 98 petitions have been filed against MPs countrywide. PHOTO | BENSON MOMANYI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

A record 98 MPs will have to fight election petitions filed in court to challenge their win.

The cases will have to be concluded within six months, going by the timelines set by the Judiciary.

Judges are currently on vacation and will be resuming work next week, ready to hear and determine the election petitions.

The election petition are given priority and judges and magistrates have already been trained to handle the cases.

CJ MARAGA

Chief Justice David Maraga has urged Judges and magistrates to ignore legal and procedural technicalities, and determine the electoral disputes on substantive issues.

According to Justice Maraga, this was the cause that led to the erosion of public confidence in the Judiciary.

Among the MPs facing election disputes are all the seven law makers elected in Kilifi County, which were won by ODM.

In Kakamega, 12 election petitions have been field challenging the election of 10 MPs.

NAIROBI

In Nairobi, nine MPs will be battling court cases, while in Kisii, seven MPs have court petitions.

All MPs elected in Turkana, save for Loima and Turkan Central have also to fight election petitions.

Some 12 woman representatives, 15 senators and 32 governors also face court petitions.

At least 166 cases have been filed across the country to challenge elections of MCAs.