Former football star MacDonald Mariga was on Tuesday red-carded from the Kibra by-election showdown.
IEBC returning officer Beatrice Muli said she could not find Mariga’s details in the register, consequently invalidated his nomination by the Jubilee Party.
Attempts by Lang’ata MP Nixon Korir and former Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale, who has since decamped to Jubilee, to put a case for Mariga fell on deaf years as Muli directed them to IEBC Disputes Resolution Board.
“Mine was to confirm that the aspirant meets requirements. I have verified and checked and I could not find his details. At this point my hands are tied,” she said.
“So long as a Kenyan is qualified to vote or vie and has made that application to IEBC, the IEBC can take their time. Can take one week, one year or 10 years but that person cannot be denied his rights to vote or vie,” Korir argued but Muli was unmoved.
On Wednesday, The Star had reported that one of the aspirants, Morris Peter Kinyajui, appealed the decision by the Party’s National Election Board to give Mariga the Jubilee ticket terming it “unfair, deceptive and shrouded in secrecy, in addition to being in contravention of the Jubilee Party constitution”.
He further said Mariga is not a registered voter, a requirement to vie for office.
“To make matters worse, the said selected person is not a resident or a voter of Kibra constituency and there are serious doubts whether or not he has ever voted,” he said.
