Kenya: We Want to Know What Happened to Our Vote, Petitioner John Njoroge Tells Supreme Court

31 August 2022

Nairobi — The second petitioner in the presidential petition against President-Elect William Ruto's victory John Njoroge says he and other voters who participated in August 9 general elections want to know what happened to their vote.

Njoroge through his lawyer Zehrabanu Janmohamed on Wednesday told the court that it is in his interest and millions of Kenyans who cast their ballot to know if indeed their votes counted in the presidential results declared by Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairman Wafula Chebukati.

Janmohammed told the seven-judge bench that it is unfortunate that billions of taxpayers' money was used to come up with an election which can't be verified and authenticated.

"Chebukati says the election was verifiable and accurate, the four commissioners say it was opaque, the political parties are saying 'I won I won' as voters we want to know what happened to our vote, and from where we are today, we can't say where this vote went and what happened," she submitted.

She said that voters should not be put in a situation where they are questioning what happened to their vote, or hoping that their votes count.

"We shouldn't be in a position where we hope that our votes count. We should be in a position where we know our vote counts," she said.

On the postponed elections in the 8 electoral areas, Janmohammed argued that the move resulted in voter suppression, hence denying voters in those areas the opportunity to exercise their right.

She further requested that IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati be prohibited from conducting any election or holding any public office, for breaching the Chapter six of the Constitution.

In her closing remarks she asked the court to nullify the presidential election on grounds it didn't meet the constitutional threshold.

"We request that our prayer to nullify this election be granted, because it doesn't reflect the will of the people," she stated.

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