Taita Taveta governor John Mruttu has been handed a second fighting chance by the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal which ordered a repeat of nomination polls in several areas.
The mentioned areas are Jipe, Chala, Mahandakini, St Joseph Kivukoni and Chala-Njukini primary schools, where no voting took place.
“A declaration is hereby issued that Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) did not conduct a free and fair nomination for the position of governor for Taita-Taveta County on April 18,” the tribunal ruled on Sunday.
Mruttu garnered 15,911 votes while his rival, Wundanyi Member of Parliament Thomas Mwadeghu, secured 18,421 in the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party primaries.
Following the loss, the Governor had released a statement terming the nomination process unfair.
The new directive by the tribunal will offer him a lifeline after the loss and he will also be compensated for the full cost of the case.
Homabay governor Cyprian Awiti was given a go ahead to fly ODM flag in the county's gubernatorial race after the tribunal said it had no jurisdiction to overturn a decision by ODM’s Central Committee, which has been mandated by the party’s National Executive Council to decide on internal disputes of party members.
Awiti was declared winner ahead of his closest competitor Kasipul MP Oyugi Magwanga who got 14,661 votes.
