Soccer star McDonald Mariga’s Kibra MP candidature on a Jubilee party ticket has continued to raise more questions, with the latest being whether he is a registered voter or not.
The questions started on Monday evening after the President Uhuryu Kenyatta-led Jubilee party gave him the ODM flag to fly in the November 7 Kibra by-elections.
Details have however emerged that Mariga was listed as a voter in Kariakor only two weeks ago and may not be considered as a registered voter in Kenya just yet.
This is because, the updated register has not been gazetted as required by law.
The last time IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati gazetted the voter register was in 2017.
But Jubilee Party NEB chairman Andrew Musangi quickly dismissed the claims as rumours, insisting one only needed to register to be a voter.
“The law only says that one should be a registered as a voter not gazetted to participate in an election, either as a voter or as a candidate. The gazettement does not make you a voter. It is the act of registration that makes you a voter,” he was quoted by a local daily.
“Gazettement is only evidence, but if I register as a voter, you are given a voter’s card and this is what you walk with as a voter. So, these are rumours. And by the way, if there is an issue, the IEBC will communicate to us and we will respond as a party.”
There are also accusations that Mariga was just rigged in, being Deputy President Dr William Ruto’s preferred candidate.
On Tuesday, one of the Jubilee Party contestants in the just concluded nominations Morris Peter Kinyajui appealed against Mariga’s nomination, arguing that Mariga is not a registered voter.
“To make matters worse, the said selected person is not a resident or a voter of Kibra constituency and there are serious doubts whether or not he has ever voted,” he protested.
“His candidature will be an impossible sell to the people of Kibra given the calibre of MP we had in the immediate past.”
Party secretary-general Raphael Tuju confirmed to a local daily that an appeal had been launched.
Will Mariga’s journey to parliament be easy as thought?
