Sakuda cleared to vie for Kajiado seat

By Peterson Githaiga  and Wahome Thuku

Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has cleared The National Alliance party’s Kajiado North parliamentary aspirant Moses ole Sakuda to vie for the seat.

Sakuda presented his nomination papers to IEBC officials at Watakatifu Wote centre in Ngong.

This was after the High Court lifted an earlier order barring the party from presenting Sakuda’s name to IEBC for clearance.

Francis Gitau had gone to court to block Sakuda’s clearance arguing his opponent was a member of another party.

He further told the court that nomination held on August 15 was marred with fraud and a register used during the exercise was one used in 2007.

IEBC’s returning officer Naisiae Tobiko and commissioner Abdullahi Sharawe confirmed the TNA candidate was cleared.

Several lawyers escorted Sakuda to IEBC’s station at about noon on Wednesday. After scrutinising his requirements, IEBC officials asked him to work on the list of his supporters.

He was then kept waiting for hours since he lacked some documents that included a list of registered TNA members. While lifting the order against Sakuda, judge David Majanja said political rights had to be exercised in the process.

He noted the electoral process was self-contained on how to deal with nomination disputes and the proper procedure had to be followed.

Justice Majanja rejected an argument that a section of the Constitution requiring the dispute to go to IEBC had been suspended until after General Election as had been claimed by Gitau.