Transport Minister Amos Kimunya and former Rarieda MP Nicholas
Gumbo are among aspirants who were on Wednesday temporarily stopped from
being cleared to vie for seats in the coming elections.
The High Court blocked Mr Kimunya, whose nomination as TNA
Kipipiri candidate has been challenged, from presenting his papers to
the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.
It will be a rush against time for eight parliamentary and
two senate aspirants whose nominations were blocked after the IEBC set
Thursday and Friday to clear candidates.
The order by five High Court judges affected ODM candidates in Rarieda, Garissa Township, Kuria East and Nyatike constituencies as well as the Nyamira senate aspirant. The judges also blocked Saba Saba Asili aspirants for Othaya constituency and Meru senate seats from presenting their nomination papers to IEBC.
Alego Usonga UDF and Lurambi New Ford Kenya candidates will also have to wait for the court to determine their cases.
The electoral commission was restrained from receiving
their nomination certificates pending hearing of petitions filed in
court on Wednesday. Mr Stanley Kihiko Mutungi challenged Mr Kimunya’s nomination on grounds that he was involved in electoral malpractices.Mr Mutungi had accused TNA of ignoring his complaints regarding the alleged offences.Saba Saba Asili nominee for Othaya seat James Gichuki Mugambi will also wait for the court’s verdict on his fate.
In Alego Usonga constituency, the electoral commission
will not accept UDF candidate George Washington Omondi’s nomination
certificate following the injunction. And in Nyatike, former MP Edick Anyanga accused the IEBC
tribunal of declaring Mr Tom Odege as the ODM nominee yet he was duly
nominated by the party.
Mr Mohammed Nassir Bilal, whose nomination as ODM
candidate for Garissa Township constituency was stopped on grounds that
he had dual citizenship of Kenya and US, claimed the IEBC tribunal did
not give him a fair hearing.
In Nyamira County, former LSK chairman Okong’o O’mogeni is
challenging the decision by the IEBC tribunal to declare Mr Abuya Abuya
the ODM nominee. Meanwhile, ODM’s Ali Hassan Joho is free to present his
nomination certificate for the Mombasa governor seat after no injunction
was issued against him.
The petition challenging his academic qualifications, and
that of his running mate Hazel Katana, will be heard with other
petitions this morning.
Coast politician Janet Mbete claims that the two do not
have valid university qualifications and wants the court to order the
University of Nairobi and the Kenya National Examinations Council to
produce certified copies of their degrees and result slips. IEBC lawyers were directed to note the affected parties,
constituencies and counties to ensure the commission complies with the
orders on Thursday.
The judges issued the interim orders pending hearing of
the petitions to ensure that those who filed them did not suffer
prejudice when the commission receives nomination papers.
The judges will begin hearing the petitions this morning
at the High Court in Nairobi, and will determine them in the next three
days.They urged all those involved to co-operate with the court
to ensure the cases were determined before the IEBC deadline for
presenting nomination papers.
From the Daily Nation
From the Daily Nation
