The Supreme Court has upheld the election of Embakasi East MP Paul Ongili, popularly known as Babu Owino as Member of Parliament. The Court of Appeal had overturned the High Court’s decision to nullify Babu Owino’s win in the 2017 general election. On March 2018, High Court Judge Joseph Sergon had ruled that Babu Owino wasn’t validly elected and that his election was affected by system irregularities and violence, and had called for a by-election, adding that Babu Owino and IEBC had to pay Jubilee’s Francis Mureithi, who was the petitioner Kshs 2.5 million each.
The Embakasi East MP filed an appeal at the Appellate Court due to dissatisfaction with the High Court’s ruling, and on June 2018, the Court overturned the High Court’s decision. On Friday, the Supreme Court upheld the Court of Appeal’s decision, and Justice Isaac Lenaola ruled that the Court of Appeal didn’t err or act in excess of its jurisdiction. He also noted that the violence at the Soweto Social Hall couldn’t render the election invalid.