On the night of Sunday, May 29, 2022, Murang'a Governor Mwangi Wa Iria caused a commotion outside the IEBC offices after his bid to run for presidency was rejected.
According to a video clip obtained by Kenyans.co.ke, Wa Iria accused the electoral body of favoritism, claiming that he was being shortchanged.
He argued that he had submitted signatures from 24 counties, but the IEBC informed him that he had only submitted signatures from nine counties.
Wa Iria further claimed foul play when he was returned and rescheduled, despite witnessing other disqualified aspirants' names on the schedule.
"I was even turned away to rectify one of the forms and told to return the next day but I was adamant I must come back today," he stated.
"Even those people who did not qualify have been added on to the schedule and we have seen them being invited in but I was struck off from the schedule," he added.
Wa Iria also claimed that some rogue officials had dumped some of his documents, and that he had proof of his team's meeting with the IEBC before submission.
"This is a new Kenya. No elections will be conducted if I do not contest. I brought everything. I brought 24 (forms) then someone told me they were only 9... We even had a forwarding letter and other documents," he said.
Wa Iria's rejection was part of the Presidential candidates' clearance exercise, which has seen many candidates disqualified, with the list shrinking from 55 to barely 20.
