NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 9 — Thirdway Alliance Party Leader Ekuru Aukot has filed a complaint against the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairperson Wafula Chebukati citing bias.
Aukot is challenging Chebukati’s decision to decline his application to run for the presidency in the August 9 General Election.
In his complaint to the Commission’s Dispute Resolution Tribunal, Aukot through his lawyers – Kosgei, Muriuki and Koome Advocates — alleged that Chebukati “had a predetermined outcome” on his quest to run for the country’s top seat.
“To the extent that the Commission appeared bent on disqualifying our nominees, the Commission’s decision violated the rules of natural justice and the requirement that such a decision by a public body must rely only on relevant considerations,” Aukot said.
The Commission cleared four candidates to contest for presidency namely: David Mwaure Waihiga (Agano Party), Professor George Wajackoyah (Roots Party), Raila Odinga (Azimio Coalition Political Party) and William Ruto (United Democratic Alliance-UDA).
Aukot, who contested in the 2017 presidential election, argued that the Commission failed to give him an opportunity to remedy some of the areas that the Commission purportedly determined as having not met the threshold.
He argued that the Commission gave other candidates more time to comply with the requirements which they lacked but the Commission failed to grant Thirdway Alliance the same.
“This clearly reinforces the Complainants’ conviction that the Chebukati, had a predetermined outcome that clearly shows his bias and discrimination,” Aukot said as he pleaded with the tribunal to set aside Chebukati’s decision until his complaint is fully heard and determined.
While rejecting Aukot’s bid, the Commission among other things noted that some of the Complainant’s supporters’ signatures did not meet the required threshold, that the Presidential Candidate’s degree certificate was not certified, that they did not present copies of IDs of their supporters and that the Banker’s Cheque for payment of required fees was incorrectly addressed.
Aukot is among 51 candidates who failed to meet the threshold set by the electoral commission.
Aukot and other presidential aspirants including Jimi Wanjigi of Safina Party and Agano Party’s Reuben Kigame have threatened to sue the Commission for barring them to contest in the presidential race.
The three who call themselves the voice of the people were disqualified from the exercise for reasons ranging from lack of academic qualifications and insufficient signatures.
Wanjigi who was thrown out due to a lack of a degree certificate alleged that the commission is under instructions from authorities to bar him from vying.
On his part Kigame accused IEBC of being discriminative after having been locked out for lack of enough signatures.
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