New headache for Jumwa as petitioners query degree
Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa has no valid degree to contest for Kilifi county gubernatorial seat in the August polls.
In documents filed before the court by petitioners Concern Citizen Kenya, Rajab Menza Shikara and Daniel Chengo Kahindi, they want Jumwa disqualified from the forthcoming elections because of lack of requisite education.
“The documents in our possession, show she (Jumwa) is a Form Two dropout which leaves more questions than answers,” the petitioners claim.
The papers tabled in court, show that Jumwa completed her basic education in 1991 at Takaungu Primary School and then proceeded to Ganze Secondary School where she dropped out in Form 2 due to lack of school fees.
The trio argues in their court papers Jumwa, does not meet the qualifications to vie for Governor's seat as she does not hold a degree as required under the Constitution and the Election Act.
“That in support of her nomination bid and clearance, Jumwa did not produce valid and genuine academic papers,“ they said.
They, however, want the court to issue orders restraining the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) from gazetting and processing nomination papers of MP Jumwa and further clearing her to contest for governor Kilifi county on August 9.
Nomination papers
“This court to restrain IEBC from processing the nomination papers of Jumwa, Gazetting and further clearing her to contest for the seat of Governor of KilifiCounty on August 9, 2022, General Elections pending the determination of this petition,” the court papers read.
The three petitioners further argue that the citizenry of Kilifi County and the country at large will be disenfranchised if MP Jumwa is irregularly and illegally clearly to contest for the seat of the governor of Kilifi County without meeting the requisite qualifications set in the law.
They now want the court to declare that Jumwa, nominated by the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Party, does not meet the minimum qualification to be cleared by IEBC to vie for Kilifi county gubernatorial seat as she does not hold a degree from a university recognized in Kenya.
“A declaration that Jumwa does not meet the requirements of Chapter 6 of the constitution regarding leadership and integrity specifically Article 75 (1) of the said constitution,” the three petitioners stated.
Jumwa is said to have been cleared for the Governorship seat using a degree certificate in County Governance obtained in 2012 at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.
Those sued together with Jumwa are Commission for University Education Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission and IEBC.
However, Jumwa through her lawyers has asked the court to dismiss the case challenging her eligibility to contest the gubernatorial seat saying that the court lacks jurisdiction to hear the matter.
“This court lacks jurisdiction to hear and determine the instant application and petition for having been filed belatedly and in contravention with Article 88(4)(e) of the Constitution and Section 74(1)of the Election Act, “ Jumwa states in her court papers.
The court is today expected to hear the matter.
