The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has barred the Safina party presidential flagbearer Jimmy Wanjigi from vying for the presidency due to a lack of a degree certificate.
IEBC chair Wafula Chebukati said that Wanjigi presented transcripts instead of his degree certificate as required by the law. He also failed to submit signatures and ID copies of his supporters.
"Degree certificate is mandatory, and due to that, I am rejecting your application to be nominated as a candidate for the presidential election slated for August 9, this year. That is my decision as to the returning officer for presidential elections," said Chebukati.
However, the tycoon read mischief in the decision, saying that the commission has cleared other candidates with similar issues.
"It is very clear what is going on here; there is a very clear elimination being decided somewhere else, not here," You cannot apply different rules to different people, and this is the intention and your direction as a commission, then I fear greatly for the coming elections," said Wanjigi.
He insisted that he had met all of the statutory requirements and had even attended a pre-nomination conference with the commission, where he was assured that all of his documents were in order.
But the IEBC chair asked Wanjigi to use the dispute resolution process if he felt cheated.