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Mariga to know his fate in Kibra by-election Monday

McDonald Mariga (centre) at IEBC tribunal in Nairobi. /CFM.

NAIROBI, Kenya Sep 16 – Footballer MacDonald Mariga was set to know his fate Monday when the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Disputes Resolution Committee delivers its ruling on his suitability to contest in the Kibra by-election set for November 7.

A hearing on a complaint filed by Mariga’s lawyers was heard Friday, with IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati promising a ruling will be issued Monday.

A Returning Officer assigned to manage the Kibra min poll, Beatrice Muli, invalidated Mariga’s candidature “because his name is not in the voters’ register” even after the footballer presented an acknowledgement slip from IEBC.
During the Friday hearing, the disputes team said possession of that slip is evidence that one is a registered voter.

Jubilee Party’s lawyer Hillary Sigei told the committee that they followed due process in nominating Mariga and argued that the registration process of a voter is continuous. He pleaded with IEBC to correct the error and allow Mariga take part in the poll.

But the Returning Officer insists that she is impartial and her decision was simply informed by the law.
She said Mariga did not meet the legal threshold to be cleared to vie.

Leading candidates cleared to vie are Imran Okoth of ODM, who is also a brother to Ken Okoth, the former MP who succumbed to cancer in August, leading to the by-election.

Amani National Congress (ANC) is also fronting Eliud Owalo among other candidates.

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