This archive report was first published on 12 September 2019.
Published on September 12, 2019, Miguna Miguna, a vocal lawyer, has weighed in on the controversy surrounding footballer McDonald Mariga's Kibra by-election bid.
Mariga's candidature was invalidated by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) on Tuesday, citing that his name was missing from the voters' register. Mariga has since appealed the decision, insisting that he is a registered voter.
Miguna Miguna suggested that President Uhuru's strained relationship with Deputy President William Ruto might be behind the footballer's woes.
He pointed out previous instances where a political candidate's name was missing from the voter's register, including opposition leader Raila Odinga in 2007 and 2013.
"It turns out that McDonald Mariga is actually a registered voter. My feeling (unscientific) is that Mariga will most likely lose the Kibra by-election to Imran Okoth," Miguna posted on Twitter.
He expressed support for the ODM candidate Imran Okoth and called on President Uhuru to call a truce with his deputy to allow Mariga to lose fairly in the election.
"Democracy demands that he [Mariga] should lose in a fair and credible election. Uhuru's despotism must be stopped," Miguna declared.
