Tribunal halts duo’s State House dreams

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission’s (IEBC) Dispute Resolution Committee yesterday dismissed attempts by two more presidential aspirants to be included on the ballot paper.

This verdict means the forthcoming election is the first to have the lowest number of presidential candidates since the advent of multi-party democracy in 1992.

The three-member committee upheld IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati’s decision to disqualify Mr Reuben Kigame and Mr James Kamau Irungu from the presidential contest over lack of adequate voters’ signatures to support their bids.

The ruling came two days after the committee upheld disqualification of businessman Jimi Wanjigi and ex-comedian Walter Mong'are over the same issue. A ruling on a complaint filed by Murang’a Governor Mwangi Wairia against his disqualification was not rendered after his lawyers said they had instituted a similar case at the High Court.

The committee marked his complaint as settled and allowed the governor to pursue the High Court case.

In Mr Kigame’ s case, the committee chaired by lawyer Wambua Kilonzo dismissed arguments that IEBC ought to have considered his visual impairment before subjecting him to the rigorous process of clearing presidential aspirants.

The committee also rejected an argument that Mr Kigame, a gospel artist, should have been exempted from the legal requirement of submitting at least 2,000 signatures of registered voters in each of the majority counties.

“There is no law showing that IEBC should waive the 2,000 signatures needed to persons living with disability. This is a requirement for all candidates,” said the tribunal. It explained that the special treatment only applied to payment of the nomination fees, which IEBC had halved. In Mr Irungu’s case, the committee said his complaint lacked merit as he not only submitted insufficient signatures but also failed to comply with the procedures for submission.

“The submission of signatures is a legal statutory requirement. Having signatures is not enough, the signatures must be forwarded in the prescribed format as per the general regulations,” said the committee.

Mr Irungu had submitted the insufficient signatures in a disk instead of in an excel format.

“The returning officer [Mr Chebukati] did not err in rejecting his nomination papers,” said the committee.

Only four presidential hopefuls passed the test out of 18 aspirants shortlisted, down from the 54 who had expressed interest in the State House job.

The four are Deputy President William Ruto (United Democratic Alliance), Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition party candidate Raila Odinga, Roots Party leader George Wajackoyah and Agano Party's David Mwaure Waihiga.