Wambui ‘was ineligible to vie for Othaya seat’

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Othaya MP Mary Wambui being sworn in at Parliament on March 28, 2013. PHOTO/FILE 

By ERIC MUTAI enthiga@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Tuesday, June 4   2013 at  22:44

IN SUMMARY

• The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, through lawyer Peter Munge, said the MP could not have been denied the right to contest unless she was charged, convicted and there was no appeal against the conviction.

A candidate who lost the race for the Othaya parliamentary seat Tuesday told the High Court in Nyeri that area MP Mary Wambui was unqualified to contest in the last General Election.

Mr Peter King’ara said that Ms Wambui did not meet the required qualifications and integrity threshold.

He said the MP was mentioned in a Kenya Human Rights Commission (KNHRC) report on the 2007 and 2008 post- election violence.

“She was mentioned as one of the people who imported arms from Ethiopia to be used during the post- poll violence,” he said.

Mr King’ara told the court that the allegations were serious, adding that the KNHRC recommended that she be investigated.

He also said the MP was mentioned in a parliamentary committee in connection with the Artur brothers, which also recommended she be investigated.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, through lawyer Peter Munge, said the MP could not have been denied the right to contest unless she was charged, convicted and there was no appeal against the conviction.

Mr King’ara, however, said the integrity rule does not require a conviction. He said that Ms Wambui did not have O-level education, adding that she performed poorly in her primary school examinations.

Started teaching

“She failed primary school examinations and performed poorer when she repeated at Nanyuki Primary School. She than started teaching at a nursery school and does not have any other qualification,” he said.

Mr King’ara also noted that Ms Wambui did not produce any document during the hearing before the High Court in Nairobi to show that she had studied past primary school.

He, however admitted that he had not contacted the Kenya National Examinations Council to verify whether Ms Wambui had an O-level qualification.

Mr King’ara told the court that Ms Wambui was cleared by the IEBC in 10 minutes, adding that he believed she did not have certificates to present.

Mr King’ara said his agents were chased away from some polling stations and did not sign forms 35. It was easy for alternative forms to be presented later, he added.