Former Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo(Photo/The Star)
Former National Assembly majority leader Jakoyo Midiwo has recounted how the six-piece vote campaign by the Orange Democratic Movement cost him his parliamentary seat during the August 8 elections whose outcome he is contesting in court,
The former MP had petitioned the victory of the current Gem MP claiming that the elections were not free and fair citing flaws in the supposed secret ballot.
Midiwo says that the Gem constituency elections were not conducted in secret ballot as most voters were bribed and compelled to vote the six-piece pattern yet there were none of the candidates was the name six pieces that was backed.
Gem MP Elisha Odhiambo told the court that he had defeated his competitor in a free and fair contest.
Elisha got 34,693 votes against Midiwo ‘s 29,374 defeating two other contenders.
Mr Midiwo, through one of his petitioners, presented a video before the court as evidence for the alleged voter briber. Mr Elisha has however denied the accusations saying he only gave out Christmas gifts to his friends and that it had nothing to do with the elections.
“The video tabled and showed to this court by one of the petitioner's witnesses Paul Achar to prove that I was bribing voters was taken during a celebration at one of my witnesses’ home during Christmas. I was just giving Christmas gift to people on that day. It had nothing to do with elections or bribery of voters,” he told the court.
The hearing was halted tentatively and shall resume on December 7, 2017, to allow for the hearing on the Siaya county gubernatorial petition that begins on Monday, November 27.