National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale has said he will not follow up with the Sh 3 million that was awarded to him by the High Court following the dismissal of a petition challenging his election as Garissa Township MP.
In a ruling done at the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi on Tuesday 27 February, High Court judge Hedwig Ong’undi dismissed Farah Maalim’s petition against Duale as baseless.
He also dismissed Maalim’s claim that Duale influenced the recruitment of presiding officers and other poll officials.
The Judge directed Maalim to pay Sh6 million as costs for the petition – half of the amount to Duale and the rest to the IEBC.
However, Duale, while reacting to the ruling said he will not be seeking the amount and would instead reach out to Maalim to settle the matter with him as a member of his community.
Duale also threw a jibe at his long-standing political rival by referring to him as a ‘busy body’.
“A lot of the busybodies who have taken us to court are now suffering with hefty bills amounting to millions. I will not follow my Ksh.3 million and I have even instructed my lead counsel that IEBC can follow what was awarded to them but for us, we will not. We believe in community harmony,” said Duale.
Duale also threw a sly dig at former Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo and Nicholas Gumbo saying; “The court is sending a message that busy bodies who file petitions will not go home free. You will go home with a huge bill.
“My good friend Jakoyo has a bill of Ksh.3 million, my former colleague Nicholas Gumbo has another Ksh.3 million… I want to help them. This week will be very bad for me because we have to do Harambees (fundraisers) to raise these amounts.”
