Sifuna: Chebukati’s ‘blunder’ in clearing Mong’are risks Kenyans’ confidence in IEBC

The Umoja Summit Party leader was last Thursday given a green light to run for the top seat in the upcoming General Election, but Mr. Chebukati threw out Mong’are’s candidature on Monday over lack of a degree certificate.

This came after Safina Party presidential aspirant Jimi Wanjigi’s bid was earlier in the day dismissed over lack of a degree certificate to which Mr. Wanjigi faulted the electoral body for clearing Mr. Monga’re who reportedly had a transcript just like him.

According to Mr. Sifuna who describes the last-minute move as a mere “afterthought”, the move jeopardises Kenyans’ confidence in the electoral body as elections approach.

“This confusion was quite unfortunate, Chebukati needs to appear like he knows what he is doing because the revocation of Mong’are’s clearance is an obvious afterthought after his encounter with my friend Jimi Wanjigi,” Sifuna told Citizen TV’s Sam Gituku during Tuesday’s Day Break show.

The ODM Secretary-General who is gunning to be Nairobi Senator in August, argued that although the commission has valid legal grounds for the decision, it might be construed as a sign of incompetence in handling election matters accordingly.

“For you to clear someone and suddenly tell us that you have just got new information that he doesn’t have a degree certificate, you should have asked for it the moment the candidate appears before you,” said Mr. Sifuna.

“He has a legal basis to do what he did but in terms of preparing Kenyans psychologically to have the confidence that the commission knows what it is doing, this does not help.”

Sifuna further castigated politicians whom he said have been trying to circumvent the Elections Act by presenting themselves for elective seats without the qualifications needed.

He said: “If you know that you do not have the requisite paperwork to get a certain job, why are you pursuing it? It is a culture that is cropping up where people think that they can wing these things and get themselves into office, and it needs to be condemned.” 

Mr. Mong’are’s disqualification brought the total number of candidates seeking the presidency down to four; Azimio la Umoja One Kenya flag-bearer Raila Odinga, Kenya Kwanza’s William Ruto, Roots Party leader George Wajackoyah and Agano Party’s David Mwaure.