On Tuesday evening, former soccer star McDonald Mariga was yet again found in an offside position in Kibra Parliamentary qualifiers match!
Electoral body IEBC invalidated his Jubilee candidature after it failed to find Mariga’s name in the updated voters register.
However, details have emerged that IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati and his two commissioners ignored advice from their own legal team and ordered the returning officer in Kibra to clear Mariga.
According to The Star, both the legal and ICT teams advised the commissioners that Mariga, who is being fronted by DP Willliam Ruto, should not be cleared because he had not been duly registered.
The two teams explained that Mariga, who had not been registered previously anywhere, dashed to Kariakor on August 26 where he applied for registration, nearly two weeks after National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi had declared the seat vacant.
But Muli declined to clear the ex-footballer because his name was missing from the voter’s roll.
It is understood that Muli also feared that she would be held personally liable for any election malpractice.
“The law is very clear that IEBC election officials will be held personally liable for any electoral offence. She refused to commit an offence,” said another IEBC official.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission barred Mariga from presenting his nomination papers after the last-minute discovery that his name was missing from the register of voters.
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