Wetangula expressed relief at the IEBC’s finding and thanked the CORD fraternity for the support they’ve given him. Photo/ MIKE KARIUKI
NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 19 – Bungoma Senator Moses Wetangula remains a registered voter following an Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission finding that there is no justification for his removal.
The commission concurred with Wetangula’s argument that they cannot strike him off the voters register if he has not been convicted of an electoral offence.
IEBC Commissioner Thomas Letangule says the constitutional threshold for the removal of a registered voter is indisputable but says there is need to amend the Elections Act to make clear what should be done when the courts make a finding of electoral malfeasance.
“Senator Moses Wetangula has not been charged for any election offence. There is urgent need as directed by the Supreme Court to have legislative realignment to cure the apparent lack of clarity in the provision of section 87 of the elections act,” he said while delivering the ruling of an IEBC special committee.
Letangule added; “In resolving the question as to whether the name of the Senator Moses Wetangula should be removed from the register of voters we find and hold that there is no lawful justification to delete the name of Wetangula from the voters register.”
Wetangula expressed relief at the IEBC’s finding and thanked the CORD fraternity for the support they’ve given him.
“It has been a long tortuous road and as conventional wisdom has it even the darkest night is followed by daybreak. Where I come from, in the Luhya Nation we have a saying that lightening does not strike the same tree twice,” he said in reference to surviving a hazard that would have opened the door to him losing his seat through the courts a second time.
The IEBC was charged with determining whether or not Wetangula would remain a registered voter by the Supreme Court which found him guilty of voter bribery in the 2013 General Election.
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