Murang’a County Speaker Nduati Kariuki gets reprieve in petition

Murang’a County Speaker Nduati Kariuki Photo:Courtesy

Murang’a County Assembly Speaker got a reprieve after the High Court declined to hear a petition challenging his election.

High Court Judge Hatari Waweru said he would not hear the petition lodged by former Gatanga MP Humphrey Njuguna and lawyer Charles Njuru challenging Speaker Nduati Kariuki's election on September 4.

Justice Waweru said Chief Justice David Maraga was expected to give directions on how the petitions of governors, senators, parliamentarians and MCAs will be handled.

“It appears to me that my jurisdiction to deal with the petitions could be an issue. I therefore decline to deal with the two petitions for the time being until the issues I have outlined above are clarified,” said the Judge in his ruling.

The petitioners in their affidavits claimed the Speaker’s election was marred with irregularities and they were disqualified after they were locked in the boardroom despite having been cleared to participate in the exercise.

Mr Njuru and the former MP were among five aspirants cleared to run for the position.

The Speaker faced off with youthful lawyer Simon Kamau and businessman Joseph Nyutu.

Meanwhile, Simon Wainaina and Peter Waweru appeared before Principal Magistrate Antony Mwicigi and denied committing electoral offences.

Mwicigi fixed judgement for the case on Friday next week.

They were charged with committing the offence on Election Day in Makuyu ward and Kigio village respectively.

Wainaina who was a presiding was accused of failure to return strategic materials to IEBC after the polls.

“How come the commission paid my dues if I did not complete the assignment that had been entrusted to me?” Posed the former presiding officer.

He was charged that on diverse dates between August 8 and August 10 in Makuyu ward he absconded duty by failing to return declaration forms namely, 34A, 35A, 36A, 37A, 38A, 39A, voters register and verification forms.

Waweru who was an agent of a parliamentary aspirant in Gatanga constituency was accused of distributing electoral materials on Election Day. The matter was reported at Kirwara Police Station.