Kuria file petition to bar Raila’s suit over violence at Bomas

Chama Cha Kazi Party leader Moses Kuria has filed a suit at the Supreme Court seeking to bar Azimio One Kenya coalition leader Raila Odinga’s petition seeking to nullify William Ruto’s win.

Through suit papers, Kuria cites violence at Bomas of Kenya against Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairman Wafula Chebukati while he was declaring Ruto as the winner.

“Shortly after entry of the Commission’s Chairman two other commissioners and the Chief Executive Officers, one Satiabao Ole Kanchori and Narok County Senator-Elect, Honourable Ledama Ole Kina who was also an accredited agent of the 1st and 2nd 10 Respondents gained access to the podium whereby he threatened and physically assaulted the Chairman and the commissioners in the full glare of cameras,” he said.

He further noted that the aforesaid persons kept shouting and barring the Presidential Returning Officer from performing his duty; that is, to declare the results.

“Shortly after chaos erupted prompting security agents to safeguard the commissioners and eject the said agents from the 20 podia. That all this while the said agents namely Kina and Kanchori were armed and ready to unleash violence,” Kuria said.

Last Monday, tension rose inside the Bomas of Kenya national tallying centre as the electoral commission began verifying presidential results.

Officials from IEBC battled to keep order after the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) reported that unapproved forms 34A were being smuggled in.

Ruto’s agents argued with electoral authorities over the suspicious documents, causing a commotion that was only defused by IEBC commissioners’ involvement.

The UDA members present threatened to walk out of the process of receiving and collating forms 34A and 34B, led by Secretary-General Veronica Maina.

Maina engaged the poll body’s employees at the quality assurance counter for at least 10 minutes before other UDA agents arrived.

With a crowd forming and unrest appearing to be unavoidable, IEBC Vice Chairperson Juliana Cherera and Commissioner Francis Wanderi intervened to keep things under control.

UDA agents had also complained about the number of people permitted at the four counters set up for form verification and collation.

Tabitha Mutemi, IEBC corporate affairs manager, later ordered unauthorised agents to leave the auditorium.

“If you have no role at the centre, kindly leave. We want to give the officers at the verification desk space to do their work,” said Mutemi.