Sammy Kemboi (in court), petitioner in the case against Marakwet East MP Bowen Kangogo follows court proceedings in Eldoret on December 5, 2017. [Photo: Joe Khisa]
A Returning Officer who presided over the now disputed Marakwet East parliamentary election on August 8 was on Tuesday put to task over variance in the number of valid votes cast as per the official results announced at the constituency tallying centre and the ones recorded in the form 34B.
This is after a video clip played in court indicated that the returning officer, Martin Wekesa, while announcing the winner indicated that there were 29,573 valid votes cast yet it was indicated as 29,968 in the form 34B.
Wekesa was also at pains to explain why totals of all the votes garnered by each candidate as declared exceeded the number of valid votes casts.
While being cross-examined by the petitioner's lawyer Dennis Magare, the returning officer admitted that there were a few clerical errors in the entry of results to form 34B which he said were corrected.
The returning officer further dismissed claims by the petitioner that there were fictitious polling centres in the constituency.
"In 2013 Embukala was used as a polling center but in August was changed to Tot Catholic same to Maraon which was changed to Ketmenget polling station so the issue of fictitious polling stations is not true," Wekesa told the Eldoret High court.
Hearing for the petition continues, Wednesday with the MP expected to testify.In the petition, a voter Sammy Kemboi is seeking results nullification on grounds that the election was marred with massive irregularities and illegalities.