This archive report was first published on 13 September 2019.
On September 10, 2019, McDonald Mariga, a former Harambee Stars player, submitted his nomination documents to vie for the Kibra parliamentary seat. However, his bid was dealt a huge blow when the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) denied him the nod, citing that his name was missing from the voter's roll.
IEBC returning officer Beatrice Muli explained that Mariga's documents were received on September 10 and handled through the same process as other candidates. However, upon presenting his ID cards, Mariga's details could not be found in the KIEMS, the electoral body's voter registration system.
According to Muli, the IEBC nomination checklist requires an aspirant to be a registered voter. She insisted that the only way to verify this is by checking the register in the KIEMS. In Mariga's case, his name was missing from the register, and despite repeated searches, his details could not be found.
As a result, Muli invalidated Mariga's nomination, citing that he was not qualified to vie for the seat. This decision was met with a nasty confrontation with Jubilee leaders, who termed the IEBC as incompetent.
Mariga has since been advised to seek redress with the IEBC Disputes Resolution Board. The IEBC will give its verdict on Mariga's petition on Monday next week.
