Nairobi Kenya: Wiper’s Makueni Senate by-election candidate, Kethi Kilonzo, has
told Capital FM News that she is a registered voter in Nairobi’s
Lang’ata constituency.
Kethi’s revelation follows Wiper Democratic Movement
Chairman David Musila’s confession that while Kethi is registered to
vote, she is not registered to vote in Makueni County.
Musila was however quick to point out that whereas the Election Act
stipulates that parliamentary contenders be registered to vote, it does
not specify where they should be registered.
“I think TNA went to check the register at Makueni but the law just
says you have to be a registered voter; not in a specific place,” he
said on Wednesday.
“In fact she has showed me her voter’s card. I have no reason to
doubt her,” Musila had told Capital FM News on Tuesday once questions
emerged over Kethi’s registration status.
The National Alliance (TNA) wrote to the Independent Electoral and
Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairman Issack Hassan through their Legal
Affairs Secretary Jasper Mbiuki on Monday alleging that Kethi was not
registered to vote.
“Section 24(1)(a) of the Elections Act (Chapter 24 of the Laws of
Kenya ) prescribes that one of the qualifications necessary for a person
to be nominated by a political party to contest for a parliamentary
seat (whether National Assembly or Senatorial) is that one must be a
registered voter,” the letter to Hassan reads.
The letter goes on to urge the IEBC not to allow Kethi to vie in the
July 22 by-election as TNA could not find her voter information on the
voter register.
“Ms Diana Kethi Kilonzo, the Wiper Democratic Party candidate for the
Makueni County Senatorial by-election, is not a registered voter. Our
perusal of the voters register has confirmed that Ms. Kilonzo does not
appear on the roll, nor is there any voter registration for Kenya
National Identity Card Number 21216762, which is Ms Kilonzo’s Kenya
National Identity Card Number.”
IEBC has refused to be dragged into the dispute with their
Communication Manager Tabitha Mutemi telling Capital FM News; “The
commission can only comment about Kethi’s registration once we receive
her nomination papers formally for vetting.”
Wiper has accused TNA and by extension the Jubilee Alliance of poor sportsmanship saying the TNA allegation was a sign of fear.
“We want to challenge TNA to come and compete because we are going to
thrash them and all that they are doing is as a result of panic because
they know that that seat will go to Wiper. It is not their business to
decide who is qualified or not qualified,” Musila said.
The Jubilee Alliance has however denied this allegation through the
NARC party which will be fielding the alliance’s only candidate,
Professor Philip Kaloki. “We have every confidence that Kaloki is the
best man for the job. And I am sure the residents of Makueni will agree
with Gideon Ndambuki and Nduku Kilonzo who stepped aside in support of
him,” NARC party leader Kiema Kilonzo told Capital FM News.
Kethi is scheduled to receive the greenlight to vie in the Makueni
Senate by-election on Thursday from the County Returning Officer Salad
Boru, assuming of course, as Mutemi said, all her papers are in order.
Despite the gloves having come off so soon in the race, Boru is
optimistic that the campaigns which kick off on July 1 for three weeks
and the voting day itself will be largely peaceful.
Courtesy of Capital News
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