IEBC dismisses application to bar Mutula Kilonzo Junior from Makueni by-election

By Roselyne Obala and Ally Jamah

Nairobi, Kenya: The Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) has cleared the first hurdle in a bid to have Wiper party senatorial candidate Mutula Kilonzo Junior participate in Friday’s Makueni by-election.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Tuesday dismissed a petition challenging Mutula Junior’s nomination to contest in the race.

The electoral body’s Chief Executive Officer James Oswago explained that they lack the jurisdiction to handle the petition by former assistant Minister Agnes Ndetei after last week’s High Court ruling on the same.

The Commission’s Dispute Resolution Committee chaired by Thomas Letangule was initially supposed to give a directive on the matter Tuesday.

“We cannot disregard an order of the High Court, which allowed Wiper to nominate a candidate. Aggrieved parties cannot challenge the High court decision at IEBC,” he said, adding that they should go back to the same court.

While making the commission’s decision public, Oswago maintained that their focus was how to undertake a credible by-election.

But lawyer Clarence Jumba who represented the petitioners said that he will take further instructions from his client after consultations, adding that filing a petition in court was among the options on the table.