In Dr Mutua’s case, High Court judge Aggrey Muchelule dismissed Ms Wavinya Ndeti’s petition but the appellate court overturned the decision, faulting the returning officer for using the wrong form.
Breaking News: The Supreme Court of Kenya has today reinstated Dr Alfred Mutua as the Governor of Machakos County and asked Wavinya Ndeti to pay all costs of the case pic.twitter.com/NuLlCzRqGF
— Lord Abraham Mutai (@ItsMutai) December 21, 2018
Justices William Ouko, Mohamed Warsame and Gatembu Kairu said Dr Mutua’s election was as the results were illegal and could not be verified.
Mutua was declared by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) as the winner of the Machakos governor election.
Big win for @DrAlfredMutua as Supreme Court overturns Court of Appeal ruling declaring that he was not validly elected as Machakos Governor in 2017 poll. pic.twitter.com/1lMMDcasXi
— Hot 96 FM Kenya (@Hot_96Kenya) December 21, 2018
In the election, Mutua garnered 249,603 out of the 461,706 valid votes cast, while Wavinya managed 209,149.
The difference between the two candidates was therefore well over 40,000 votes.
#UPDATE The Supreme Court of Kenya has affirmed the election of Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua; CJ Maraga says the poll was free and fair. Big blow to the Wavinya Ndeti, Anyway, yaliyo ndwele zipite! pic.twitter.com/Ni8lqBocO3
— Mulmulwas (@mulmulwas) December 21, 2018
Wavinya challenged Mutua’s election on grounds that IEBC’s use of county employees as election officers.
Wavinya also accused Mutua’s political party of using county officers as its agents while County officers are public officers and it is an election offence for a public officer to engage in the activities of any political party or candidate.
https://twitter.com/AtGuru001/status/1076006286658019328
It is also an election offence for a public officer to act as an agent of a political party.