Editor's Review

Wanjigi was dealt a blow after he failed to submit the prerequisites for registration.

Safina Party presidential Jimi Wanjigi was dealt a blow after IEBC Disputes Tribunal upheld a decision by the IEBC Chair Wafula Chebukati to lock him out of the presidential polls.

Wanjigi had moved to the tribunal to quash Chebukati's move.

George Murugu who chaired a panel said Chebukati was justified since the candidate failed to provide the prerequisites for registration.

Wanjigi has vowed to appeal the decision to the High court.

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{Jimi Wanjigi's presidential running mate Willia Otieno after addressing the press. IMAGE: COURTESY}

The Safina Presidential candidate made the application at the tribunal as it was a requirement by the law while hoping to get justice.

"We came to this committee thinking we are going to get justice but it is clear it has decided to go the Chebukati way in misinterpretation of the law," said lawyer Willis Otieno.

He added, "It is not a competent committee to explain to the High court what the law is...it recognises the authority of the High court but then purports to explain what its decisions are and we are not even surprised by the ruling since the chair of the committee chair is a personal lawyer of Chebukati," he stated as stormed out of the courtroom on Friday night.

Murugu, in his ruling, said Wanjigi did not submit a sufficient number of supporters as required by the law and a degree certificate as provided for in section 22 (2) as read together with regulation 47 (1) of the Elections general regulations Act 2012.

"The candidate did not submit the nomination certificate in respect of the running mate...the returning officer was justified in rejecting the complaint as it lacks merit," Murugu stated.

Wanjigi, the panel ruled, fell short of one county in the submission of signatures and ID copies from one county.

Otieno further applied to be furnished with certified copies of the proceedings.

"If at all the amendments to section 22 (2) were ever made we wish the proceedings to capture it and where exactly was amended to help us in the next phase," he said noting the panel was applying mechanical pedantic, pedestrian way to interpret the law.

In the hearings, he argued, there was no mention of any late submission outside the gazetted time but was captured in the submission of the running mate certificate "so we also want it captured"