Waititu alleges plot to kick him out of governor race alleges plot to kick him out of governor race

By Alex Ndegwa

Embakasi MP Ferdinand Waititu has claimed there is a scheme to undermine his candidature for Nairobi County governor.

Speaking on Saturday during the jubilee rally at Uhuru Park, Nairobi, Mr Waititu maintained that he remains firmly in the race and exuded confidence he will triumph.

“They are using all tricks, including attempts to imprison me, but I will run for Nairobi governor through God’s grace,” he said.

And the MP risks being barred from participating in Thursday’s TNA nominations for the party’s ticket to run for Nairobi governor unless he proves authenticity of his university degree.

CORD, is also facing a major crisis in Nairobi governorship nominations over academic qualifications of one of the party’s aspirant, Bishop Margaret Wanjiru. But the controversy and intrigues around the quest for Nairobi governorship do not end there.

Another aspirant interested in CORD nomination, Mr John Moguche Zacharia is listed by Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) as facing criminal charges of making a false document.

In its annual report for 2011/2012, EACC lists Moguche together with two other parties as facing criminal case no CR. No. 141/661/2011/ACC 35/2011. The report does not give specific details on the case, but given the stringent clearance requirements for aspirants, this is likely to cause further complications in the contest.

Waititu has until tomorrow 1pm to have Panjab University from India vouch for the degree certificate and obtain clearance from Commission for Higher Education (CHE).

The MP submitted to TNA a university degree certificate which identifies him as Mr Clifford Ndung’u Waititu. A Kenya Certificate of Education for the examination of November/December 1981 also identifies him as Clifford. However, clearance certificates from three State agencies undertaking vetting of aspirants bear the name Ferdinand as does his national Identification Card.

Anomaly

In his application to TNA, Waititu maintains that he has a former name – Clifford – according to a legal opinion prepared by the party titled “an inquest into the identity confusion concerning Mr Ferdinand Ndung’u Waititu.”

TNA National Elections Board (NEB) has told the MP “unless additional and satisfactory evidence is adduced” to show the certificate is his, “Mr Waititu should not be allowed to contest for the nomination for governor under a TNA ticket.”

“If the additional evidence outlined above is not presented to the party no later than 1300 Hrs on January 14, it is our recommendation that Waititu should not be allowed to contest for the nomination for governor under a TNA ticket,” the document states in part.

It adds: “For clarity, we wish to emphasise that both the Panjab University and CHE must positively authenticate the degree certificate as belonging to Mr Waititu.”

Waititu was summoned to TNA headquarters to explain the anomaly in the names but he sent his lawyer, Mr Evans Ondieki, who produced an original birth certificate issued on January 4, 1980 identifying him as Ferdinand Ndung’u Waititu.

The board states no other evidence other than the one outlined would be permitted as sufficient to rebut the adverse finding that is the subject of the legal opinion.

“A positive decision by one accompanied by a no decision or a negative decision by the other will in our opinion be insufficient to rebut the finding currently on record that it is unlikely that the degree certificate in the name of a Mr Clifford Ndung’u Waititu belongs to the said Mr Ferdinand Ndung’u Waititu,” said the document a copy of which is in our possession.

Waititu did not respond to inquiries by The Standard On Sunday.

Chairman of the party’s NEB Stephen Omenge said on Friday evening he hadn’t been briefed on the matter. Mr Omenge asked this writer to contact him the following day (on Saturday afternoon) but he didn’t answer his ringing phone.

The document TNA/DSC/V/NO.05/2012 is in the format of a judicial ruling and raises three questions. Waititu is asked to clarify three issues: at what point a child born Ferdinand Ndung’u Waititu became Clifford Ndung’u Waititu and how a person who’s birth was registered at age 19 in 1980 as Ferdinand Ndung’u Waititu registers for a national examination a year later as Clifford Waititu.