Case Metadata |
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Case Number: | Election Petition .2 & 4 of 2013 |
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Parties: | John Oroo Oyioka & Nyabaro Onditi v Independent Electoral And Boundaries Commission, Peter Resa, Returning Officer & Zebedeo John Opore |
Date Delivered: | 02 Jul 2013 |
Case Class: | Civil |
Court: | High Court at Nairobi (Milimani Law Courts) |
Case Action: | Ruling |
Judge(s): | Ruth Nekoye Sitati |
Citation: | John Oroo Oyioka & another v Independent Electoral And Boundaries Commission & 2 others [2013] eKLR |
Advocates: | Nyamweya for Petitioner in Petition 2/2013 Omwenga for Petitioner in Petition No.4/2013 Rigoro for 1st and 2nd Respondents in Petition 2/2013 and 2nd and 3rd Respondent in Petition 4/2013 Nyaencha & Nyaundi for 3rd Respondent in Petition No.2/2013 and 1st Respondent in Petition 4/2013 |
Court Division: | Constitutional and Human Rights |
County: | Kisii |
Advocates: | Nyamweya for Petitioner in Petition 2/2013 Omwenga for Petitioner in Petition No.4/2013 Rigoro for 1st and 2nd Respondents in Petition 2/2013 and 2nd and 3rd Respondent in Petition 4/2013 Nyaencha & Nyaundi for 3rd Respondent in Petition No.2/2013 and 1st Respondent in Petition 4/2013 |
Case Summary: | Jurisdiction to Issue Concurrent Orders of both Recount and Scrutiny of Votes John Oroo Oyioka V Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission & 2 others Election Petition Numbers 2&4 of 2013 (consolidated) High Court of Kenya at Kisii Ruth Nekoye Sitati, J July 2nd, 2013 Reported by Mercy Ombima Brief Facts The Petitioner had contested for the parliamentary seat for Bonchari Constituency and lost it for the third Respondent. He sought a court order for recount and scrutiny of votes cast in that constituency; claiming that the electioneering process for Bonchari had been characterized by massive irregularities and inconsistencies depicting corruption. The Respondents challenged the petition claiming that the elections court did not have jurisdiction to issue dual orders of both recount and scrutiny of votes.
Issues i. Whether it was proper for a court determining elections disputes to make dual orders of both scrutiny and recount of elections votes. ii. Whether an order for scrutiny or recount of votes could be granted as a matter of course. iii. Whether a petitioner could benefit from both orders of recount and scrutiny of votes sough in the same prayer
Electoral law – election petition – scrutiny and recount of votes – where the Applicant sought simultaneous orders of re-count and scrutiny of votes in the same prayer – claim that the court’s jurisdiction was limited to making an order of either scrutiny of votes or recount of votes and not both – whether the court could make concurrent orders of both scrutiny and recount of votes – Elections Act 2011, section 80(3), Elections (Parliamentary and County Elections) Petition Rules 2013, rules 4; 5; 33(2)
Held 1. Section 82 (1) of the Elections Act clothed an election court with wide jurisdiction when considering an application for scrutiny. The court was equally clothed with similar jurisdiction by rules 32 and 33 of the Elections Petition Rules. Neither scrutiny nor recount could be ordered by an election court as a matter of course. The court was required in each situation to be satisfied that there existed sufficient reason to require an examination of the ballot either by way of scrutiny or recount. 2. A petitioner could only lay sufficient basis for scrutiny and recount of the votes after such a petitioner had adduced evidence during the actual hearing of the petition - Rashid Hamid Ahmed Amana –vs- IEBC and others, Malindi Election Petition No.6 of 2013. 3. The Petitioner and his witnesses in the instant case had testified, though the Respondents’ case was yet to be heard. If that was a case for scrutiny, it would have been necessary to fully hear the Petitioners’ and the Respondents’ cases before going into the issue of scrutiny. The petitioner’s request was however for a recount. 4. The court had jurisdiction to define the scope of scrutiny of votes and the terms under which it was to be conducted. The election court was entitled to consider whether to order a full examination of the ballots and related material; whether or not a recount of the votes could be conducted or whether the scrutiny could be limited to tallying. Whatever option taken by the court depended on the circumstances of each case - Richard N. Kalembe Ndile & others –vs- Dr. Patrick Musumba Mwea & others, Machakos EP No.7 of 2013. 5. In reaching a decision of whether or not to take a recount of votes, the court would be guided by the provisions of rule 32 (1) of the Election Petition Rules, which did not limit the extent to which a recount could be undertaken. The wider the net of the recount, the better, so that no stone was left unturned. In that case, all the votes were required to be subjected to interrogation so that the court was assured that the third Respondent’s win and the Petitioner’s loss were informed by correct figures of votes cast for them and for the other candidates who were in the same race. Application Allowed
Found Jurisprudence
Cases East Africa 1.Amana, Rishad Hamid Ahmed v Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission and 2 others Election Petition No 6 of 2013 –(Explained) 2.Joho & 2 others v Nyange & another (No 3) (2008) 3 KLR (EP) 388 –(mentioned) 3.Kamanda, William Maina v Margaret Wanjiru Kariuki & 2 others Election Petition No 5 of 2008- (Explained) 4.Magara v Nyamweya and 2 others [2010] 1 KLR 13 –(Explained) 5.Ndile, Richard N Kalembe & another v Patrick Musumba Mwea & 2 others Election Petition Nos 1 & 7 of 2013 (Consolidated)–(Explained) 6.Omiti v Osebe & 2 others [2011] 2 KLR 181 –(Explained) 7.Said v Maitha & another [2000] KLR 134; (2008) 2 KLR (EP) 380 –(Mentioned) Canada 1.Harris v Ryan (1997) 44 MPLR (2d) 194 (NFLD SC) –(Mentioned) India 1.MR Gopala Krishnan v Thachady Prabha Karan & others 1995 SCC Supl (2) 101 JT 1995 (1) 202 2.Vadiveli v Sundaram & others Civil Appeal No 6443 of 1999 Manitoba 1.Dorothy E Browton v Jean Hart Kangas & others Suit No C198-01-10265 –(Explained) Statutes East Africa 1.Civil Procedure Rules, 2010 (cap 21 Sub Leg) order 57 –(Interpreted) 2.Elections Act, 2011 (Act No 24 of 2011) sections 80(3); 82(2) –(Interpreted) 3.Elections (Parliamentary and County Election) Petition Rules, 2013 (Act No 24 of 2011 Sub Leg) rules 4, 5, 32; 33(1)(2)(4) –(Interpreted) Advocates 1.Mr Nyamweya for the Petitioner (2 of 2013) 2.Mr Omwenga for the Petitioner (4 of 2013) 3.Mr Rigoro for the 1st & 2nd Respondents (2 of 2013); 2nd & 3rd Respondents (4 of 2013) 4.M/s Nyaenda & Nyaundi for the 3rd Respondent (2 of 2013); 1st Respondent (4 of 2013)
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History Advocates: | Both Parties Represented |
Case Outcome: | Petition Allowed |
Disclaimer: | The information contained in the above segment is not part of the judicial opinion delivered by the Court. The metadata has been prepared by Kenya Law as a guide in understanding the subject of the judicial opinion. Kenya Law makes no warranties as to the comprehensiveness or accuracy of the information |
No.782
REPUBLIC OF KENYA
IN THE HIGH COURT OF KENYA AT KISII
ELECTION PETITION NO.2 OF 2013
IN THE MATTER OF THE CONSTITUTION OF KENYA
AND
IN THE MATTER OF THE ELECTIONS ACT, NO. 24 OF 2011
AND
IN THE MATTER OF INDEPENDENT ELECTORAL AND BOUNDARIES COMMISSION ACT NO.9 OF 2011
AND
IN THE MATTER OF ELECTION FOR BONCHARI CONSTITUENCY (NO.261)
BETWEEN
JOHN OROO OYIOKA …………………………………......……..…. PETITIONER
AND
INDEPENDENT ELECTORAL AND
BOUNDARIES COMMISSION ………………………..…..……. 1ST RESPONDENT
PETER RESA, RETURNING OFFICER ………...……....….….... 2ND RESPONDENT
ZEBEDEO JOHN OPORE ………………...………….…….…. 3RD RESPONDENT
CONSOLIDATED WITH
ELECTION PETITION NO.4 OF 2013
IN THE MATTER OF THE CONSTITUTION OF KENYA
AND
IN THE MATTER OF ELECTIONS ACT, NO. 24 OF 2011
AND
IN THE MATTER OF INDEPENDENT ELECTORAL AND BOUNDARIES COMMISSION ACT NO.9 OF 2011
AND
IN THE MATTER OF ELECTION FOR BONCHARI CONSTITUENCY (NO.261)
BETWEEN
NYABARO ONDITI …………………………......…………….....………. PETITIONER
VERSUS
ZEBEDEO JOHN OPORE ………………..………….………….. 1ST RESPONDENT
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PETER RESA, RETURNING OFFICER ………….…..…….….... 2ND RESPONDENT
INDEPENDENT ELECTORAL & BOUNDARIES COMMISSION….…… 3RD RESPONDENT
RULING
Introduction
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Respondent to the 1st Respondent;
The Application
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initial Form 36 was given as 33294 while the sum of the total valid votes and the rejected votes is 33275, thus having a difference of 21 votes. The applicant prays for the orders sought and says that the irregularities aforementioned can only be meaningfully addressed and resolved by scrutiny and counting of votes.
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prayer (c) in the petition and thus there is nothing interlocutory about the instant application.
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contemplate the blanket approach adopted by the Petitioner. The 1st and 2nd Respondents pray that the Petitioner’s Notice of Motion dated 9th May 2013 be dismissed with costs as the same is said to be an abuse of the court process.
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overriding objective of the Rules which “is to facilitate the just, expeditious, proportionate and affordable resolution of election petitions under the Constitution and the Act.” The gist of the petitioner’s argument is that the petition herein raises issues concerning electoral irregularities that bring into question the authenticity and accuracy of the figures presented by the 1st and 2nd Respondents in Forms 35 and 36 on whose basis the 3rd Respondent was declared the winner of the said election. The petitioner contends that because of the said irregularities, the election for Member of the National Assembly for Bonchari Constituency cannot be said to have been free, fair, transparent and conducted in an impartial, neutral efficient accurate and accountable manner.
“It is clear to me from these provisions that in an election petition where the complaints concern the manner in which the body in charge of the electoral process has carried out its mandate --- an election court is perfectly entitled to, indeed I would go so far as to say such a court is bound to examine whether the election and its attendant processes were transparent, free and fair.”
“These forms i.e. Form 16A and Form 17A constitute the written evidence showing, as they do, the figures which a returning officer announces, from where the figures have come and how they have been arrived at. But if the very authority of these figures is in issue, i.e.
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where did they come from, who compiled them and how they were arrived at, can one conclude that the electoral process has been transparent, free and fair? I agree with the assertion in JOHN FITCH –VS. TOM STEPHENSON AND THREE OTHERS [2008] EWHC 501 (OB) that:- “… the courts will strive to preserve an election as being in accordance with the law, even where there have been significant breaches of official duties and election rules, providing the results of the election was unaffected by those breaches… This is because where possible, the courts seek to give effect to the will of the electorate …’ Though I agree with the assertion I must nevertheless ask myself:- (1) How is the will of the electorate manifested? (2) Is the court simply to look at the figures and say:- “A has 25,000 votes and B has 20,000 votes and therefore A has won?” That would be very basic, and in my view an unrealistic way of looking at the matter. The court must still ask questions similar to those asked by the learned trial Judge. In which polling stations were those votes cast? Who presided over the poll in the stations? How many voters were registered in that station? How many of them actually voted? How many votes did each candidate get in each polling station? I agree with the learned Judge that the matter must go beyond simple arithmetic and certain basic questions such as ones listed must be easily answerable.”
“When interpreting legislation relating to elections, one may reasonably conclude the primary purpose is to ensure that we have a free, open and properly conducted democratic election. If there have been irregularities, these should be exposed to the view of the general public through the returning officer and through the candidates and their agents involved in the recount.”
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CACA No.237 of 1999 and Maina Kamanda –vs- Margaret Wanjiru Kariuki & another (supra).
Submissions by the Respondents
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others – Civil Appeal No.6443 of 1999 where it was held, inter alia, that :-
“—unless the Election Petition is able not only to plead and disclose the material facts but also substantiate the same by means of evidence of reliable character that there existed a prima facie case for recount, no tribunal or court would be justified in directing a recount.”
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He urged court to dismiss the application with costs.
Legal Provisions
“32 (1) Where the only issue in the election petition is the count or the
tallying of the votes received by the candidates, the petitioner may apply to the court for an order to recount the votes or examine the tallying.
(2)The Petitioner shall specify in the election petition that he does
not require any other determination except a recount of the
votes or the examination of the tallies.
33 (1) The parties to the proceedings may, at any stage, apply
for scrutiny of the votes for purposes of establishing
the validity of the votes cast.
(2) Upon an application under sub-rule (1), the count may,
if it is satisfied that there is sufficient reason, order for
a scrutiny or recount of the votes.
(3) The scrutiny or recount of ballots shall be carried out under the
direct supervision of the Registrar and shall be subject to
directions as the court may give.
(4) Scrutiny shall be confined to the polling stations in which the
results are disputed and shall be limited to the examination of –
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(a) The written statements made by the presiding
officers under the provisions of the Act;
(b) The copy of the register used during the elections;
(c) The copies of the results of each polling station in which
the results of the election are in dispute;
(d) The written complaints of the candidates and their
representatives;
(e) The packets of spoilt papers;
(f) The marked copy register;
(g) the packets of counterfoils of used ballot papers;
(h) the packets of counted ballot papers;
(i) The packets of rejected ballot papers; and
(j) The statements showing the number of rejected ballot
papers.
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case have testified, though the Respondents’ case is yet to be heard. If this was a case for scrutiny, it would have been necessary to fully hear the Petitioners’ and the Respondents’ cases before going into the issue of scrutiny. The petitioner’s request in this case is however for a recount.
Findings and Conclusion
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reference to Form 35” and that whatever option is taken by the court will depend on the circumstances of each case.
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and interrogation ---.” In this case, all the votes cast must be subjected to interrogation so that the court is assured that the 3rd Respondent’s win and the Petitioner’s loss were informed by correct figures of votes cast for them and for the other candidates who were in the same race.
Order and Directions
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Dated and delivered at Kisii this 02nd day of July, 2013
RUTH NEKOYE SITATI
JUDGE.
In the presence of:
Mr. Nyamweya for Petitioner in Petition 2/2013
Mr. Omwenga for Petitioner in Petition No.4/2013
Mr. Rigoro for 1st and 2nd Respondents in Petition 2/2013 and 2nd and 3rd Respondent in Petition 4/2013
M/s Nyaencha & Nyaundi for 3rd Respondent in Petition No.2/2013 and 1st Respondent in Petition 4/2013
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