Police have launched a manhunt for Juja by-election candidate George Koimburi after the Kiambu Law Court issued a warrant of arrest against the politician.
The arrest warrant was issued after Koimburi failed to appear in court to answer four charges of forgery. Detectives attached to the case said that the suspect was either on a run or was in hiding.
Koimburi is seeking to vie on the Peoples Empowerment Party associated with Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria. Police accused the aspirant of forging certificates from the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) and the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT).
In a letter dated March 15, 2021, a week after he submitted his declaration form to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) wrote to the university seeking authenticity of the certificates presented.
In its response, JKUAT's Office of the Registrar of Academic Affairs said that they had no records of the certificates held by the politician.
On April 12, the DCI also sought authenticity of a KCSE certificate attached to the aspirant’s resume. The C+ certificate was alleged to have been issued by Eekalakala Secondary School in Matuu, Machakos County.
KNEC responded, refuting reports that Koimburi registered and sat KCSE exams at the school in 1994. The school's principal also wrote to the DCI saying that the index alleged to be Koimburi's belonged to another candidate.
Koimburi risks being barred from the May 18 by-election as Section 349 of the Penal Code[19] provides for a penalty of three years while section 354 of the Penal Code [20] provides that a person found guilty of the offense of uttering a false document is liable to punishment.
The aspirant lost the 2017 parliamentary elections to the late MP Francis Waititu alias Wakapee who passed away on Monday, February 22 after a long battle with brain cancer.
The lawmaker was diagnosed with stage two brain cancer in 2017. Wakapee had served as Juja MP since 2013.
“It is because of the trust and love that the people of Juja had for Hon Waititu that they entrusted him with a second term in a very competitive election despite his illness.
“Throughout his fight with cancer, Hon. Waititu led efforts to overcome the disease through awareness creation and support for initiatives aimed at lowering the cost of treatment in the country," President Uhuru Kenyatta eulogised.
