This archive report was first published on 14 July 2019.
November 28th, 2017, marked a significant day in Kenya's electoral history as a High Court in Bungoma nullified the election of Jubilee's Dan Wanyama as the Member of National Assembly for Webuye West constituency. This decision was made in response to an election petition filed by Philip Wamoto, Wanyama's former aide, who contested on the Amani National Congress (ANC) ticket in the August 8 general elections.
Wanyama's election was one of the 8 Jubilee party wins in western Kenya that garnered a miraculous 54% margin, sparking dissatisfaction from the National Super Alliance (NASA) coalition. NASA termed the wins as 'computer-generated popularly' or 'vifaranga vya Kompyuta.'
Following the August 8 general elections, a total of 308 election petitions were filed by leaders against the winners in various courts throughout the country. This number is significantly higher than the 188 petition cases filed in the 2013 general election. If election errors continue to be discovered by the courts in the filed petitions, Jubilee could potentially lose its advantage in parliament, making it harder for them to pass legislations without opposition support.
Just a few days ago, the Independent Elections and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) admitted to arithmetic errors in the Lamu senatorial election. The returning officer, Mohamed Adan, revealed that he used an Excel sheet, which led to minor errors in the results for individual candidates.
Meanwhile, President Uhuru Kenyatta is set to be sworn in for his second term in office at the Safaricom Stadium in Kasarani on November 28, between 10am and 2pm. The ceremony is expected to cost the Kenyan taxpayer a whopping Kshs 384 million.
