The High Court in Nairobi ordered Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to give Reuben Kigame another chance to submit his nomination for the presidential seat in the upcoming General Election.
According to the High Court ruling, IEBC violated Kigame’s rights by locking him out of the presidential contest.
“An order of certiorari do issie against the 1st and 2nd (IEBC and Wafula Chebukati) respondents quashing their decision that the petitioner(Kigame) did not qualify to proceed to the next level to be considered for registration as a presidential candidate,” reads the ruling.
Kigame sued the electoral commission after he was locked out of the presidency race for failing to meet the requirements.
The court agreed with him that some of the requirements from the electoral body were unfair to his rights as a person living with a disability.
“How can I thank God enough for the ruling on my case of exclusion from the ballot by IEBC and Wafula Chebukati!!!! It is finally possible for me to be on the ballot! Long live Justice and may God bless all who have prayed for me,” Kigame stated.
On May 31, IEBC barred the renowned gospel artist-cum-politician from the August 9 presidential race citing failure to submit ID copies of the 2,000 voters from each of the 24 majority counties who endorsed his bid.
Kigame protested the claim, revealing the electoral body’s decision was conveyed to him by the Commission’s Chair Chebukati, who told him that there were anomalies with the signatures collected to support his candidature.
An attempt to have a sit down with Chebukati proved futile.
He stated that the electoral body had demonstrated favouritism towards some candidates stating that he was ready to resubmit his documents that had anomalies.
“Here is evidence of signatures and ID copies that IEBC refused to take and then charged me with non-compliance. They will not even look at my degrees and other qualifications. Let justice roll down like water and the cry of freedom from discrimination fill the air.”
“When I wanted to seek audience with the Chair and have redress of this matter, security barred me from entering the Bomas of Kenya saying no aspirant was being allowed. I was pre-judged based on signatures, which they did not receive and are still lying in my car,” he stated.
According to the law, presidential aspirants are expected to submit at least 2,000 signatures from each of at least 24 counties. The IEBC extended the requirement to also include the ID copies of the supporters – but the directive has since been nullified and declared unconstitutional in another ruling delivered by Justice Anthony Mrima.