[Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru and Narc-Kenya Party Leader Martha Karua with President Uhuru Kenyatta at the start of his tour of Jubilee Party campaigns in the county on June 28, 2017.[Photo: The Standard]
Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru has become the second governor in President Uhuru Kenyatta's central backyard to have her election challenged.The first governor from Uhuru's stronghold to have his August 8 election challenged was Embu Governor Martin Wambora.On Monday, Waiguru trashed Narc Kenya leader Martha Karua's application seeking to have her petition listened by a three-judge bench.Waiguru, argued that the application lacked merit and urged the Kerugoya High Court to dismiss it with costs.Through her lawyers, Paul Nyamondi, Kamotho Waiganjo and Andrew Muchigi, the governor submitted that the petition was not of immense public interest and that it was not necessary to set up a bench to hear it.Waiguru also argued that the matter was not a complex one and it should be handled and determined by a single Judge.The defence lawyers submitted that the petitioner failed to prove that the matter raised weighty questions of law and it should be disregarded."This is an ordinary petition that can be heard and concluded in one week and it does not warrant the formation of a three judge bench," said Nyamondi as quoted by the Nation.But Karua through her lawyer Gitobu Imanyara insisted that the petition raised substantial questions of law and required more than one Judge to hear it."The matter is of big magnitude and that is why we have applied that the High Court refers it to the Chief Justice David Maraga so that he can constitute a bench. This is not a simple matter," Imanyara argued.Lady Justice Lucy Gitari directed that the hearing be adjourned until September 28 when she will deliver the ruling on the application by the respondent.