Journalists thrown out of Migori speaker elections
Journalists were removed from the Migori County Assembly as MCAs elected their speaker on February 12, 2018. PHOTO | ELISHA OTIENO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Assembly orderlies removed reporters from the premises.
- Officials said journalists' video footage was used as evidence to nullify the previous election.
Journalists were on Monday morning kicked out of the Migori County Assembly halls ahead of the election for Speaker.
Assembly orderlies removed reporters from the premises.
NO VIDEOS
Andy Okeyo told reporters they were under strict instructions not to allow journalists into the Assembly precincts during the court-ordered repeat election.
The Assembly officials claimed the media "messed us up during the last Speaker's election, which was nullified by the High Court".
"Video footage picked by the media was used in the court to nullify the elections...going forward, it won't be business as usual," said another official of the assembly.
ELECTION
The repeat poll was scheduled for Monday after the High Court last month nullified the August 31, 2017 election of Speaker Boaz Okoth and his deputy George Omamba.
Rowdy youth had disrupted the ballot.
Only petitioner Kerario Marwa and Mr Okoth were allowed to take part in the fresh election as they were the only candidates to make it to the second round of voting last August.
Lobbying had intensified among the 56 MCAs, with some being hosted in Kisumu and Tanzania so that they were not influenced by the opponents.
