Police imposter Joshua Waiganjo gets nod to vie for Njoro seat

Jailed police imposter Joshua Waiganjo is among thousands cleared to vie for various elective positions in the August elections.

In a letter signed by Registrar of Political Parties Lucy Ndung’u, Waiganjo is said to have met all the requirements to be allowed to vie as an independent candidate.

“According to the records held by this office, Joshua K. Waiganjo is not a member of a fully registered political party,” the letter seen by The Standard reads in part.

Despite being held at Naivasha Maximum Prison in Naivasha, Waiganjo hopes to find favour and acceptance among Njoro residents to serve them as their MP in the 12th Parliament of Kenya.

The High Court in Naivasha will make a ruling on an appeal that Waiganjo lodged against his five-year jail term he has been serving at the facility since October 2015 after he was convicted of impersonating an assistant commissioner of police.

The ruling will be made by Justice Christine Meoli.

In an exclusive interview with The Standard, Waiganjo said he was optimistic the court would rule in his favour.

“This is a calling by the residents of Njoro and I am not going to disappoint them. Once freed, I will hold intense campaigns in the area to capture the seat,” he said.

Waiganjo said being in jail would not deter him from seeking election to a public office.

NO BARRIER

He noted there was no constitutional barrier stopping him from joining politics.

“The Constitution clearly protects my ambitions under Article 99, Section 3, which states that a convict is not disqualified for election as an MP if they have a pending appeal or review of the sentence,” he said.

Last weekend, Waiganjo graduated with a Higher Diploma in Theology. He was among 110 graduates who have been taking their studies at the Naivasha GK prison.

Seven prison wardens were among the graduates under a programme sponsored by the Presbyterian Church of East Africa.