Court clears former Kangundo MP to contest MCA race

A former MP for Kangundo will fly the Jubilee Party ticket in the race for the Matungulu West ward seat in the August 8 election, the High Court has declared.

Moffat Maitha had gone to court to challenge an earlier ruling by the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal, which had declared Fridah Wendo the duly nominated JP candidate for the seat on grounds that Mr Maitha was still a member of another political party at the time of his nomination.

But the High Court in Nairobi ordered the withdrawal of Ms Wendo’s nomination certificate and the degazettement of her name as the candidate by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

“It is hereby ordered that the appellant (Maitha) be declared the winner and the bona fide nominee for the position of Member of County Assembly Matungulu West ward pursuant to the joint party primaries on April 27, 2017,” read the ruling received by IEBC and seen by The Standard.

Data records

In a letter dated July 18 and addressed to IEBC Chief Executive Officer Ezra Chiloba, Jubilee Party Secretary General Raphael Tuju asked the electoral commission to update their data records and include Maitha’s name.

“Further to a court order dated July 17, please note that Moffat Maitha is the duly preferred candidate for Matungulu West Ward in Machakos County, said Mr Tuju.

In a telephone interview with ‘The Standard’ Sunday, Maitha said he was ready to face his opponents and urged voters to come out in large numbers on August 8.