NAIROBI, Kenya July 13 – A petitioner has now moved to court to block Roots presidential candidate George Wajakcoyah from vying in the presidential race for the August elections.
The petitioner, Bernard Okello Odero faulted Wajackoyah’s manifesto saying it is in contravention of the Constitution and against the conduct of the office of the president.
Odero pointed out that Wajackoya’s conduct put his soundness of mind into question and wondered why the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) failed to confirm his mental soundness.
“That the 2nd respondent be hereby compelled to conduct compulsory mental assessment test to the presidential candidates and at all times during the elections,” read the petition.
The petitioners further raised concern with Wajackoyah 10-point manifesto unveiled last month saying its implementation is in contravention of the constitution.
In particular, he raised concerns with the pledge by Wajackoyah to hang the corrupt which the petitioner argued is in contravention of human rights.
“This contravenes the constitutional provision of the right to life and freedom from inhuman and degrading treatment contrary to the international obligation of Kenya as ratified in various human rights treaties,” reads the petition.
The petition to bar the Roots presidential candidate has been based on grounds that Wajackoyah holds dual citizenship and is married to an American citizen who has never changed and or acquired Kenyan citizenship.
“His children were all born in America and live in the United Kingdom where they are now citizens hence putting the allegiance of the 1st respondent as a requisite for vying for the position of the president in question as required under the constitution.” the documents further read.
Wajackoyah has previously told off those questioning his Kenyan citizenship saying he has never changed his nationality.
Wajackoyah told those making the claims should confirm his citizenship details via the internet instead of writing to the British Embassy saying they are just “wasting their time.”
His response comes a day after Peter Gichira, a former presidential aspirant wrote to the British High Commission querying the status of Wajackoyah’s citizenship to the United Kingdom (UK).
Gichira in the letter, sought clarification on whether the Roots Party leader was indeed a British citizen, and, if so, whether he had renounced his rights to be eligible to vie for the position of President in Kenya.
“Nobody is deporting me anywhere, I am a Kenyan, born in Kenya with very high epistemology in terms of academia. I have been outside the country, I have suffered so much, I tried to run,” he said.
Wajackoyah said that as a Commonwealth citizen, living indefinitely in a country doesn’t necessarily mean one has to be a citizen of that particular State.
The Roots Party presidential aspirant blamed his opponents over the citizenship issue saying they are “out to malign his name.”
He went forward to dismiss the claims that he is a “State Project” saying he is on the ballot to stay.
“I am nobody’s project. I am my own project and the people who follow me. I am on the ballot, and I am winning the elections,” he said.
