Kigame not relenting on presidential bid, seeks court intervention on IEBC Rejection

Presidential aspirant Reuben Kigame has assured his supporters that he will be on the ballot papers in the August 9 presidential elections.

Kigame said he would be headed to court seeking orders to have the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) compelled to accept his nomination papers.

Kigame was adamant that all his hard work would not go to waste.

“Nevertheless, the Petitioner has worked hard and has met all the requirement set in the Presidential aspirant’s check-list, only to be barred from presenting the said booklets that have not only cost him time but also a lot of resources,” he argues in the court papers.

Kigame, during a press brief, said that he would not allow the IEBC to discriminate against him as they go-ahead to clear other candidates. He further accused the government of “silencing” citizens seeking to change the country’s political trajectory through State agencies such as the IEBC.

“IEBC has not, in any way, extended means to integrate the Petitioner as a presidential aspirant, and the Petitioner has been subjected to a vigorous process without due regard to his inability to see and read. The 1st Respondent has not developed any regulations to accommodate the persons living with a disability such as Braille or any other form of communication, “reads court papers.

Other aspirants in the same boat include Safina Party’s Jimi Wanjigi and Ekuru Aukot.

Wanjigi’s nomination was thrown out over the lack of a university degree; he, however, insists the commission is out to “silence” them.

“We’ve seen this template before and it is the template of dictatorship. I want to assure Kenyans that it was defeated before and we shall defeat it again now,” said Wanjigi at a press briefing on Tuesday.

Thirdway Alliance presidential candidate  Ekuru Aukot insists that the body was out to frustrate his presidential ambitions.

“In 2017 IEBC issued me with a certificate to run for president. Last Sunday, IEBC denied me that certificate on the excuse that my degree certificate is not certified, isn’t that laughable?” Aukot posed.

“I think we are dealing with an institution here that is clearing the wrong candidates just because they do not want alternative voices.”