Lawyer Otiende Amollo during petition against his client Busia Governor Sospeter Ojaamong on Tuesday, December 19, 2017. [Photo|Courtesy]Former Funyula MP Paul Otuoma appeared in court to testify in the petition challenging the victory of Busia Governor Sospeter Ojaamong on Tuesday.Ojaamong's lawyer in the petition is Otiende Amollo who put to task the former MP to explain why he did not file the petition himself. The petition was filed by Otuoma's campaign manager in the August 8 gubernatorial contest, Peter Odima.Appearing before Judge Kiarie Waweru, Amollo wondered whether Odima was Otuoma's real agent or busy body since there was no evidence to prove it."I had a terrible situation after the results were announced. I couldn't believe my ears and I went into a state of shock. Odima was my chief agent and not busy body," he said.Otuoma's campaign slogan "Eifumbuhe" came up during cross examination. Amollo said the slogan was meant to instigate the Luhyas against other communities.Otuoma denied the claim saying Eifumbuhe which means taking off to save one's life had been his campaign slogan since 2006 when he was Funyula MP.Lawyer Chrisostom Akhaabi who represents IEBC, said Dr Otuoma's affidavit was based on verbal information from his agents with no supporting evidence to back his claims and wondered whether the witness was merely filling in gaps in the petition.Otuoma failed to justify why his copy of campaign schedule annexed to the affidavit did not bear the IEBC stamp. He also could not produce a written report on the August 4 Bulemia incident even after making a report at the local AP camp.Otuoma admitted that he was not supposed to be in Butula on August 4 for campaign rallies but in Funyula constituency. He was also not aware that IEBC had cleared both him and Ojaamong to hold rallies in Matayos on August 5 after a meeting attended by his campaign manager.He was hard-pressed to explain why he had not annexed evidence of ballot stuffing at some polling stations and whether they were afterthought. Otuoma had claimed the Butula Returning Officer was operating from Ambiance Hotel, whose owner was an ODM parliamentary aspirant and close associate of the governor. He also admitted that he was invited to State House Nairobi by President Uhuru Kenyatta after the August 8 elections, adding that there is nothing wrong in associating with Uhuru "since he is the head of state and not Jubilee Party."

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