Reprieve to Governor Obado as Court upholds his election.

Migori Governor Okoth Obado greets his supporters after the Court of  Appeal in Kisumu upheld in election-Photo By Dickson Odhiambo.

By Dickson Odhiambo.

 July 27, 2018

Reprieve to Governor Obado as Court upholds his election.

MIGORI Governor Zachary Okoth Obado has today gotten a reprieve after the Court of Appeal in Kisumu has upheld his win following the election on August 8 last year.

Appellate Court has upheld the decision made earlier by Migori High Court that declared Governor Okoth Obado as validly elected.

Justice Stephen Gatembu says the appellant Ochilo Mbogo Ayacko failed to prove his case and was on a fishing expedition.

Gatembu says the High Court was factual in its ruling since most of the witnesses’ accounts could not be proved.

He says the claims that the Governor bribed voters could not be authenticated.

The appeal was set aside and the appellant ordered to bear the cost of the appeal capped at Sh. 2 million.

Gatembu further slashed the High Court cost from Sh. 6 million to Sh. 1.5 million.

Immediately after the ruling, supporters of the Migori Governor who accompanied him to Kisumu burst into songs and dance as they celebrate the Court of Appeal’s decision which has upheld the Migori Governor’s win.

They vowed to continue to support their Governor during this his second and final term in office which will come to an end in 2022.

Earlier this month during the burial of Migori County Senator the late Ben Oluoch Okello, Ochilo Ayacko who appealed against the High Court’s decision which upheld Obado’s win told the mourners that he would withdrew the case before the judgment.

Meanwhile, Nyaribari Chache MP Richard Tongi was also off the hook after an appeal against his win was struck out for lacking merit.

While delivering the ruling, Justice Kathurima M’inoti says the High Court did not error in upholding the election of the MP.

Zaheer Jhanda had moved to the appeals court to challenge the Kisi High Court decision that confirmed that Tongi was validly elected.

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