Bunyasi successfully petitions court to order vote recount in Busia gubernatorial race
By Martin Oduor, December 28, 2022
Former Nambale Member of Parliament (MP) John Sakwa Bunyasi has had his way as court has considered his petition challenging governor Paul Otuoma’s win in the August 9 General Election.
The High Court in Busia ordered a vote recount in nine polling stations in the county as partly demanded by Bunyasi in his petition.
In the petition, Bunyasi asked the court to order the scrutiny, recount and nullification of the Busia gubernatorial election results, citing alleged massive rigging.
Bunyasi, who contested the Busia gubernatorial election on Amani National Congress (ANC) ticket, managed 92,144 votes against Otuoma’s 164,478 votes.
The incumbent Busia governor was elected on an Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party ticket.
Bunyasi in his petition claimed that there were irregularities including ballot box stuffing.
The former Nambale MP petitioned the court to authorise the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to scrutinise and recount votes in all polling stations.
However, Justice David Kigen on Wednesday, December 28, 2022, ordered that the scrutiny of the election materials including ballot boxes be conducted in nine polling stations and not all like Bunyasi wanted.
The nine polling stations where the court ordered a vote recount include; Bumutiru RC, Elugulu trading centre, Esiunga, Elugulu, Namahindi, Bumulimba, Odiado and Busia township primary schools polling stations.