Marakwet East MP Bowen Kangogo at a past event. [Photo: the-star.co.ke]
Three witnesses on Monday took to the stands as hearing for the petition challenging Marakwet East MP Bowen Kangogo's win begun at the Eldoret High Court.
Petitioner Sammy Kemboi was first to give his testimony before Justice George Kimondo where he told the court that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) used results from ungazetted polling stations when declaring Bowen as the winner in the August 8 poll.
Kemboi, a voter in Marakwet East further claimed that official results announced by the IEBC didn't tally with the number of valid votes cast.
"There were 29,699 valid votes cast in Marakwet East constituency but surprisingly IEBC's results indicated the candidates had garnered over 30,000 votes," said Kemboi.
Barnabas Komen, a second witness for the petitioner told the court that in one polling station, an Independent Candidate Linah Jebii Kilimo was leading with 120 votes but after a shooting incident outside the constituency tallying centre that killed one person, the returning officer announced that the MP who was a Jubilee candidate had garnered 256 votes at that particular polling station.
The third witness to take to the stand was Nicholas Serem, an agent for Linah Kilimo who said final figured for the parliamentary election in the constituency was altered in favour of the current MP.
"With two polling stations remaining, Kilomo was ahead with 14,981 votes against Kangogo's 14,685 votes but after the shooting incident the returning officer declared Kangogo as the winner with initial Kilimo's votes reducing," he said.
Hearing for the petition continues on Tuesday where the Marakwet East Constituency IEBC returning officer is expected to give his testimony.