Kenta now files notice to withdraw petition against Governor Ntutu

Former Narok North MP Moitalel ole Kenta (ODM) has bowed to pressure from the Maasai council of elders, clerics and opinion leaders and withdrawn his petition against Narok Governor Patrick Ntutu’s win in the August 9 elections.

A hearing that was set to kick off on Monday, November 11, failed to proceed as Mr Kenta, through his lawyers, filed a notice to drop the case.

This comes after last week's high-powered meeting led by ACK Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit raised concerns that election court cases were dividing the county.

Archbishop Sapit besieged Mr Kenta to withdraw the case for the sake of tranquillity in the cosmopolitan county.

Mr Kenta’s move followed appeals from Archbishop Sapit, Maasai council of elders chairman Kelena Ole Nchoe, Maasai Unity Forum chairman Selela Ole Mwanik and other Maasai opinion leaders.

Mr Kenta's lawyer, Mr Parseen Masikonde, told High Court Presiding Judge Teresia Matheka that the former MP wanted to drop the case.

Justice Matheka then gave the two respondents – Mr Ntutu and electoral body IEBC – two days to file their response to Mr Kenta’s request to withdraw the case.

Mr Ntutu is represented by Senior Counsel Kioko Kilukumi and the IEBC by Erick Mutua. Their response will be known on November 28.

Over the weekend, Governor Ntutu had welcomed Archbishop Sapit’s appeal to his opponent to withdraw the case.

Mr Ntutu said he had extended an olive branch to Mr Kenta and that dropping the case will ensure that the two leaders share ideas on how to move the county forward.

He also said he was ready to act if elders and clerics called for a truce with his 'brother' Mr Kenta.

Archbishop Sapit had said clerics and elders had supported Mr Kenta’s bid for governor and he needed to listen to them.

"We are the ones who fronted him to run for the governorship and when we tell him to withdraw the case, then he should do so," he said.

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