Nyaribari Chache MP Richard Tong'i with his lawyer senior counsel Okong'o Omogeni [Photo/The Star)
Nyaribari Chache MP Richard Tongi has maintained that he won the August General elections in a free and fair manner.
In a sworn affidavit before Kisii High court’s Justice Anthony Ndung'u, Tong'i said that his election reflects the will of the people of Nyaribari Chache, adding that he has no case to answer.
Three petitioners Zaheer Jhanda (Wiper), James Kenani (PDP) and Chris Bichage (ODM) had filed separate cases seeking for the nullification of his win, citing massive illegalities and irregularities. Tondi, however, defended his win, saying he did not subvert the will of the voters as argued by the trio
"I really want to appreciate the efforts by the commission in conducting the elections despite errors which never affected the outcome," he told the court, as quoted by The Star.
He also admitted that the race was tight since he was competing against eight contestants. Tong'i also hailed the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) for conducting an exercise as per the constitution.
In response to Bichage’s lawyer Philemon Ochwang'I on whether he was satisfied after garnering 14, 140 votes, the lawmaker 3, 695 votes margin against his toughest competitor (ODM) was a clear indicator that he won.
He further said that the results his agents relayed by his 149 agents tallied with what was announced.