Nairobi, April 14 -- The counting, scrutiny and verification of some ballots in the Mbeere North by-election petition kicked off on Monday at the Embu High Court, with journalists being locked out of the exercise.

The press was ordered to vacate the court premises just as the highly anticipated exercise was about to begin, effectively shutting out media coverage of a crucial stage in the case.

The development came as the court commenced the opening of ballot boxes, marking a significant step in the petition challenging the outcome of the Mbeere North by-election.

The court is also expected to verify other materials used during the election, a process that could play a key role in determining the validity of the results.

However, the e...