Monday, March 18, 2024 - High Court Judge Lawrence Nthiga Mugambi dismissed a petition accusing Chief of Defence Forces General Francis Ogolla and three others of attempting to alter the outcome of the 2022 presidential election.
In a petition filed by Irene
Masit, the former Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission (IEBC)
commissioner, the military boss, and two others were accused of visiting the
commissioners at Bomas before the announcement of the results on August 9,
2022.
"It is stated that this
delegation exerted pressure on the commissioners to change the outcome of the
Presidential election," reads part of the court documents.
Masit sought to have Ogolla and
the two enjoined in this suit as interested parties. She emphasised that
including these individuals in the suit is crucial for them to clarify the
allegations.
In the petition, Justice Aggrey
Muchelule's tribunal was listed as the 1st respondent while the Attorney
General was the second.
In response to the allegations,
the tribunal argued that including the three served no purpose in the
determination of the issues raised in the initial petition.
However, the High Court judge
dismissed the petition, adding that Masit failed to prove that the alleged
coercion was made by Ogolla or any of the two officials.
Justice Nthiga ruled that if the
three were enjoined in the suit, it would be engaging the court in unproductive
and speculative action.
Masit is among the four IEBC
commissioners who disputed the results announced by the former IEBC Chairperson
Wafula Chebukati.
Chebukati declared William Ruto
as Kenya's fifth president after fending off fierce competition from his
competitor Raila Odinga.
The four commissioners. Who
later quit and left Bomas as the announcement was being made and held a
separate press briefing led by Juliana Cherera. Others were Justus Nyang'aya
and Francis Wanderi.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
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