Mariga wins, again

Jubilee Party candidate in the Kibra by-election, McDonald Mariga, can now breathe easy after the political parties’ tribunal court chairperson, Kyalo Mbobu, dismissed an application by Morris Peter Kinyanjui, who wanted Mariga stopped from flying the ruling party’s flag in the upcoming mini-poll.

Kinyanjui lost the Jubilee Party ticket to Mariga, a move which left him accusing the ruling party of rigging him out of the race.

Kinyanjui, thereafter, filed a petition in court on Tuesday, September 17, seeking to block Mariga from representing Jubilee in the Kibra race.

But now, the political parties’ tribunal court chairperson, Kyalo Mbobu, says the avenue in which Kinyanjui filed his petition was wrong.  Mbobu says the court has no jurisdiction, whatsoever, to hear the matter.

The court said that the Jubilee Party candidate’s nomination certificate has already been accepted by the electoral board, IEBC.

The court, therefore, advised Kinyanjui to look for remedy elsewhere.

In an application filed by the complainant at the political parties tribunal on September 17, Kinyanjui said Jubilee failed to conduct party nominations as required by law and their Party’s Constitution

The complainant argued that Mariga’s nomination as the Jubilee Party candidate was illegal and constitutes violation of his rights.

He said he was invited through a text message for an interview at the Jubilee Party headquarters in Pangani, Nairobi, an interview, he claims, was used to check the suitability and qualifications of candidates.

The Kibra by-election is penciled in for November 7.