PHOTO CAPTION: IEBC presiding officer Dan Ojijo at the high court in Homa Bay on November 24, 2022.
A testimony by a witness in the ongoing Homa Bay gubernatorial election petition case pitting Dr. Evans Kidero against incumbent Gladys Wanga has sent shockwaves across social media.
Speaking during a hearing of the case on Thursday, November 24, 2022, Dan Ojijo, an IEBC official who served in Homa Bay, claimed he was forced to announce Gladys Wanga as the winner of gubernatorial elections at gunpoint.
He insisted that the Homa Bay governor elections where Ms. Wanga was declared winner were not free and fair.
Mr. Ojijo, who acted as the presiding officer at Ongeti Primary School Polling station, told the court that a group of rowdy and armed youths stormed into the hall, switched off the lights and commanded him to announce the results.
“They shouted as one pointed me with a gun, forcing me to read out the results they had doctored,” he said.
In his testimony, Mr Ojijo narrated how intimidation began earlier in the day when the voting exercise started, alleging that the youths who were operating in groups forced their way into the polling station and forcefully installed eight people as Wanga’s “agents”.
He further explained that the youths removed some people from the queue whom they perceived were not going to vote for Ms. Wanga.
The goons turned wild and frustrated him when he refused to allow non-registered people to vote, threatening to throw his body into a river.
“One of them told me directly that they will carry and throw me into River Oluch if I don’t comply with their demands. He said I can’t come to Kochia ward and spoil votes for Wanga,” he said.
Mr. Ojijo gave the testimonies when he appeared before Justice Roselyn Aburili, who is presiding over the case at the Homa Bay High Court.
Ojijo added that his security as an agent compromised, hence he could not defy the demands by the rowdy goons.
As all this was happening, his bosses at the IEBC were reportedly non-committal to responding.
“I reported the attacks and harassment to Rangwe police station for investigations. I want to state clearly that the election at Ongeti Primary School polling station was not credible,” he said.
Kidero, his running mate Elijah Kodo and Wanga’s deputy Oyugi Magwanga were present during the hearing.
In the heated gubernatorial race, Wanga of ODM won with 244,559 votes against Kidero’s 154,182 votes.
At the polling station, Wanga garnered 235 votes against Kidero’s 115 votes.
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