On May 30, 2022, a dramatic scene unfolded outside the Independence Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) offices as presidential aspirant Mwangi Wa Iria was denied clearance to vie for the presidency.
Wa Iria, the Muranga governor, claimed that the IEBC was set to reduce the number of presidential candidates from the initial 10 to three, which he believed was the reason behind his rejection.
According to Wa Iria, he was only informed that his documents had been received, without any further explanation or feedback.
He expressed his discontent, stating that he was treated unfairly and that his team had submitted the required signatures from 24 counties, contrary to the IEBC's claim that he had only submitted signatures from nine counties.
Wa Iria alleged that he was turned away and told to correct one of the forms, only to be told to return the next day. He insisted on returning the same day, which led to the dramatic scene outside the IEBC offices.
Wa Iria threatened that no elections would be held if he was not allowed to contest, stating, '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 have photos of IEBC officials going through item per item with our people. They have deliberately removed my name today by throwing them in the toilet. How come no one has told me anything.'
