‘I Will Kill Someone If Not Declared Winner’- Babu Owino allegedly Threatened IEBC, Court Told

Francis Muriethi, Embakasi East MP aspirant on Monday told the High court that his opponent during the hotly contested August 8 election, Paul Ongili aka Babu Owino scared his supporters into not showing up to vote.

Mureithi, who garnered 39,805 votes against Ongili’s 43,862, said that his supporters feared for their lives hence the low turn out.

He also told Justice Joseph Sergon that the former student leader had his goons assault Amani National Congress (ANC) candidate, Joseph Obiende at Lower Savannah Soweto Social hall.

Obiende, also a member of the National Super Alliance (NASA) as is Babu is said to have been admitted to the ICU.

The incumbent, according to Mureithi coerced the returning officer into declaring him the winner. He threatened the RO’s life, the Jubilee aspirant told the court.

”I have defeated Mureithi and must be declared winner or else I will kill someone,” he said.

Francis, also accused Owino of voter bribery. Owino, he said was caught on tape dishing out money to the electorates.

“Babu was caught on camera bribing voters at Greenspan polling station. The video is in court as evidence,” he said.

Mureithi wants the MP election nullified saying that some forms were not signed by IEBC officials while votes cast in some polling stations were more than the registered voters.

In Utawala Academy, for instance, the number of valid votes cast were more than the number of registered voters.

In October, Francis sought to have Babu’s win annulled on grounds that he responded late to the petition.

Read: Babu Owino Charged For Not Wearing Helmet

“All three respondents refused, neglected and failed to file their notices of response within the prescribed time. No explanation was given by Babu Owino to explain the delay. He is responsible for the delay. It is a case of negligence by the MP to allege he had not seen the advert in widely circulated newspapers,” said Mureithi.

Owino through his lawyers, Edwin Sifuna and Jackson Awele said that the late response was because it was based on a provision on a newspaper that did not catch their attention in time.

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