Reprieve for Irungu Kang’ata after IEBC declined request to revoke his gubernatorial bid
Murang'a gubernatorial candidate Irungu Kang'ata can now sigh a heave of relief after the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission threw out a request to revoke his gubernatorial bid.
A judgment delivered by the IEBC Dispute Resolution Committee chaired by George Murugu dismissed a complaint by a voter identified as Thomas Waithaka Mumu saying it lacks merit and is devoid.
"The committee finds that Kang'ata and his Deputy Stephen Mburu were duly registered as candidates for the position of Governor and Deputy governor position respectively on June 7, 2022," the committee ruled.
The disputes committee held that the replacement of Kang'ata's former running mate, Dr. Winnie Njeri Mwangi, with Mburu was done in accordance with the law.
"We also find that the rescheduling of Kang'ata date for registration from June 6 to June 7, 2022 was with the discretion of the returning officer which was properly exercised," the ruling read further.
The voter wanted the committee to revoke the clearance of Kang'ata accusing him of asking the returning officer to change the date of presenting his nomination papers to enable him to confirm his former choice for deputy, Dr. Winnie Njeri Mwangi, had resigned from being a lecturer from the University of Nairobi.
Through Lawyer Peter Wanyama, Waithaka argued that section 18 of the Election Act requires the returning officer to receive nomination papers on the date set and can not change them at the whims of any candidate.
"Kang'ata violated the law when he asked the returning officer to alter the nomination date of presentation of his candidature from June 6 to June 7, 2022," Wanyama stated.
The lawyer said that on that score alone the nomination of Kang'ata is illegal and an affront to the electoral law.
He asked the tribunal to quash the nomination of Kang'ata and his deputy Stephen Mburu for violating the law.
But Kang'ata, through his lawyer Charles Njenga, vehemently opposed the petition saying it is bad in law since the issues being canvassed have not been pleaded for.
"There is no valid complaint before this tribunal as all what has been raised by the complainant is political," Njenga said.
After the ruling Kang'ata said he his happy with the decision of the IEBC to uphold the rule of law.
