Monday, January 21, 2013

Kimunya awaits TNA tribunal to settle Kipipiri dispute


Transport Minister Amos Kimunya (right) and Gideon Konchella (left) chat with Maina Kamanda at a PNU function on September 7, 2012. Photo/STEPHEN MUDIARI

By NATION TEAM  ( email the author)
Posted  Monday, January 21  2013 at  14:00
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The fate of Transport Minister, Amos Kimunya still hangs in the balance after TNA Returning Officer in Kipipiri Constituency declined to announce the results of parliamentary aspirants.
This is after a dispute emerged over ballot boxes from Rumwe and Ngatho polling stations, which were intercepted on Friday by supporters of Kimunya’s main opponent, Samuel Gichigi.
They were intercepted after the driver of a van ferrying ballot boxes to the tallying centre at Miharati Trading Centre declined to carry party agents.
Police had to intervene by impounding the van and locking the ballot boxes at Engineer Police Station.
By Monday, the ballot boxes were still being held at the police station.
And the TNA Returning Officer in the constituency, Isaac Kung’u said he had handed over the case to the party tribunal to resolve it.
"I cannot determine the winner without the results from the two polling stations since the elections were highly contested," Mr Kung'u had told journalists outside Engineer Police Station on Sunday.
On Monday, he said the matter was still being addressed by the tribunal from Nairobi but the disputing parties are expected at Engineer Police Station later in the day.
Nyandarua South police boss Samson Munyao confiscated the van ferrying the ballot boxes after angry mob who had intercepted it, threatened to lynch the driver and the presiding officer.
And they issued the threat on discovering that the boxes containing names of parliamentary aspirants had been interfered with.
Following the threat Mr Munyao said the driver fled into a bush.
“We are still looking for him so that he can record a statement,” the police boss said.
Mr Gichigi who is a Nairobi lawyer and a long-time aide to Mr Kimunya claimed that the two polling stations are his stronghold.
Apart from him and Mr Kimunya, there was also former area MP Mwangi Githiomi who was also trying to secure the TNA ticket to contest the seat.
Since Saturday, Mr Gichigi's supporters have been staging protests outside TNA office in Miharati Trading Centre alleging plans to rig out their candidate.
This is after rumours started circulating that Mr Kimunya had beaten his rival by 81 votes in provisional results.
"I did not release the results and the winner will only be known after results from the two polling stations are released," Mr Kung'u said.
He said after tallying results from 65 polling stations out of 67, there was a difference of less 200 votes and he did not want to say who had won.
Earlier, a group of Mr Gichigi's supporters had been arrested by police on Friday afternoon after they drove their vehicle into Kipipiri Food Factory.
They were chasing another vehicle they claimed was spotted ferrying ballot boxes.
And they were only released on Saturday on a cash bail.

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