Azimio la Umoja one coalition presidential candidate has been dent a huge blow after a High Court in Nairobi dismissed an application by the former premier and Orange Party’s Kakamega gubernatorial candidate Fernandes Barasa.
The two politicians were seeking to be enjoined in Mumias Sugar Company lease case.
However, according to Justice Wilfrida Okwany the involvement of Raila and Barasa in the case was unnecessary.
The two were seeking to be enjoined after they were mentioned in a contempt of court case against Sarrai Group.
The petitioner’s lawyer Jackline Kimeto accused Barasa, who is vying for Kakamega governor seat, of authoring a series of derogatory messages after the court stopped Sarrai Group from operating in Mumias Sugar Company.
“On the same date that the court order was issued, a politician by the name Fernandes Barasa Published a series of tweets about the court order dated July, 28, 2022,” the court heard.
The lawyer further accused Raila of visiting Mumias Sugar and being taken around by Sarrai Group personnel despite a court order barring the Uganda-based company from stepping into the sugar miller’s premises.
“In other tweets published on August, 03, 2022, Barasa also stated that the machines in Mumias would roll back to life by Wednesday 10th August 2022. He also uttered derogatory sentiments alleging that creditors agitating for their rights were ‘loitering in our courts to frustrate the revival of Mumias Sugar Company’,” the petitioner’s lawyer noted in a court document.
James Orengo and Jared Sala law firms represented Raila and Barasa respectively in applying to be enjoined on Thursday.
Sarrai Group, Gakwamba Farmers, and Wanga Council of Elders filed preliminary objections to the application.