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Kenya: 30 Voters in Court to Bar IEBC From Gazetting Presidential Candidates

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3 years ago

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Nairobi — More than 30 registered voters have moved to court to block Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) from gazetting the list of presidential candidates describing the process as flawed.

In their suit, the petitioners faulted the verification of 2,000 signatures from the 24 counties submitted by presidential candidates in the absence of the final voters register to be gazetted on June 9.

“That its therefore trite that the verification of presidential aspirants supporters signatures is a nullity since the commission doesn’t maintain at all register or a database of signatures to carry out the purported verification exercise of signatures,” read the petition.

The petitioners have listed the Attorney General and IEBC as the 1st respondent and 2nd respondent respectively.

IEBC Chair Wafula Chebukati had mentioned that the voters register was undergoing audit by the KPMG and would be gazzeted on June 9th of the eligible voters who will participate in the August 9th polls.

In the affidavit filed by the petitioners they argue that the poll commission in arriving at 18 shortlisted candidates for presidential race clearance is null and void as the official register has not been gazzeted.

“That the current exercise of the verification of the supporters of all presidential candidates being carried out by the second respondents is based on illegal, inaccurate and unverifiable register and the subsequent nominations of a presidential is a total nullity,” read the petition.

They sought the intervention of the court on the matter which risks putting to a disarray the presidential nomination exercise done so far which started on May 29th 2022 by the poll agency.

“That there is imminent danger that the current exercise is likely to throw the country into electoral chaos unless the orders sought herein are granted at the earliest time possible,” the petition read.

According to the general election regulations gazzeted by the commission chair Wafula Chebukati on January 20, the clearance of aspirants will be run from May 29 to June 7.

So far only Umoja Summit Party presidential candidate Walter Nyambane has been cleared for the race with presidential candidates George Wajacoyah, Peter Kingori and Justus Juma being sent away for lacking sufficient signatures.

For others like Usawa presidential candidate Mwangi Wa Iria they have revolted accusing the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) of selling his signatures to other candidates, days after his name was removed from the nomination register.