BIG BLOW TO KENYA KWANZA AS IEBC DOES THE UNTHINKABLE

Major blow to DP Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza camp as IEBC does the unthinkable in Western Kenya

IEBC has declined to clear Sabatia MP Alfred Agoi to run for the Vihiga gubernatorial seat at the August polls.

The county returning officer Peter Tiyo said his running mate, Vincent Mmaitsi, failed to resign from state office within the timelines set by the Commission.

“The candidate is okay but his running mate Vincent Mmaitsi failed to resign on time,” he said.

Mmaitsi was serving as the member of County Public Service Board of Vihiga County.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission had required all state officers seeking elective seats at the August polls to resign by February 9.

On Saturday, IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati said all aspirants who failed to beat the deadline stand disqualified from contesting for any elective seat.

Agoi was seeking the commission’s clearance to run for the governor seat on the ANC ticket under the Kenya Kwanza Alliance.

He was given until June 7 to find and different running mate and return to the IEBC offices for clearance.

“The aspirant has time to rectify the mess at Nairobi offices and come back,” Tiyo said.

Elsewhere, IEBC locked out Karen Ward Representative David Mberia from the August 9 polls citing his economic crimes conviction.

“Under conviction of economic crimes and not pursuing appeal we have an MCA by the name David Mberia of Karen ward,” Chebukati said.

He clarified that those with active cases in court will however be allowed to run in the August election, as well as those who are being investigated by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).

Chebukati further stated that public officers who did not resign by February 9 will not be cleared.

In 2021, Mberia was convicted on three counts of soliciting for a bribe and receiving treated money from the EACC.

According to court documents, Mberia demanded Sh1 million from an idividual identified as Samuel Maina Kiragu in order to influence the outcome of an inquiry that was carried out by the Culture and Social Services Committee in regard to the ownership of the land where Kiragu Waichahi Schools was built.

Mberia further demanded a bribe of Sh500,000 from Kiragu on April 25, 2019.

He was also charged with receiving a bribe of Sh200,000 from Kiragu.

He had been charged alongside two other MCA’s Jared Okoth Okode (Mathare North) and Abraham Mwangi Njihia (Woodley/Kenyatta) who were freed for lack of evidence.

By Kenyan report