Umoja Summit Party presidential flagbearer Walter Mong'are on Monday, June 6, had his clearance revoked by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
Speaking at the Bomas of Kenya, IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati, explained that Mong'are did not have a degree from a recognised university as required by the law.
The IEBC had earlier summoned Mong'are, popularly known as Nyambane, shortly after disqualifying Safina party Jimi Wanjigi on grounds that he had not met the requisite academic qualifications. Both candidates have cleared their coursework but are set to graduate later in the year.
"This is not the first time that a clearance certificate has been recalled it happens all the time from our returning officers when they get a dispute emerges or new information is availed," Chebukati remarked.
Chebukati explained that he had summoned the Umoja Summit flagbearer to meet him to help clear out some discrepancies in his academic qualifications following new information received by the commission - but the aspirant staged a no show.
"As the returning officer of the presidential election, upon discovery of new information on Walter Mong'are, as relates to lack of academic qualifications, I invited a team to appear before me at 2 p.m to clarify the issue.
"He failed to honour my invitation and pursuant to Regulation 43 (2)(c) of the elections General Regulations, I hereby revoke the nomination certificate of Walter Onjoka Mong'are of Umoja Summit party dated June 2, 2022, " Chebukati announced.
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The IEBC Chair asked the four qualified presidential candidates - Azimio's Raila Odinga, UDA's William Ruto, Roots party's George Wajackoya and Agano's David Mwaure to abide by the electoral code of conduct during the campaign period.
Nonetheless, he noted that candidates who were not satisfied with the outcome of the clearance exercise should raise concerns with the Dispute Resolution Committee within 10 days.
The final day of the clearance was filled with drama, highlighted by independent aspirant Eliud Muthiora, who set his voter's card ablaze after being disqualified for not submitting the required number of signatures.
However, Muthiora may have a case to answer after Chebukati promised to report him to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP), for committing an electoral offence as stipulated in the Elections Act.
. While addressing the press, Wanjigi's running mate Willis Otieno questioned why the Safina aspirant had been turned away for producing a clearance certificate yet another candidate with the same credentials had been cleared.
"I said it in the plenary that the candidate was the first to be cleared using the same letters that we had. Same circumstances, same university, same Commission on University Education.
"How then can he turn around at this point to say that we do not have a university degree. The wording of the law is a university degree or its equivalent. The graduation is just a ceremony, but you have qualified," he posed.
