NAIROBI, Kenya, July 30 – The High Court has now directed the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission to include the name of former Kasarani MP William Omondi on the ballot for next week’s Mathare by-election.
Justice Isaac Lenaola ruled that the IEBC had no grounds to lock out the former legislator from contesting the by-election scheduled for August 7.
The former lawmaker is vying in the poll as an independent candidate.
The judge set aside IEBC’s decision to bar Omondi from vying on grounds that he is a life member of ODM.
ODM had complained that Omondi was a staunch member and when he made the application to vie as an independent candidate he had not resigned from the party.
Former Youth Enterprise Fund Chairman Gor Semelang’o is also in court seeking orders to compel the electoral body to allow him to contest the by-election.
Semelang’o argues that the law used to bar him from contesting because he did not resign six months to the by-election does not apply to him, because he was dismissed from office.
Semelang’o case is due for hearing on Thursday morning before Justice Mumbi Ngugi.
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