This archive report was first published on 16 September 2019.
On September 16, 2019, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) made a significant decision in the Kibra by-election, clearing football star McDonald Mariga to vie for the parliamentary seat on a Jubilee Party ticket.
IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati announced the decision during a press conference, stating that Mariga is indeed a registered voter, contrary to earlier claims.
Mariga had filed an appeal challenging the IEBC decision to invalidate his candidature, calling the disqualification 'improper, null and void.'
IEBC's decision to clear Mariga was based on the fact that he is a registered voter, as stated by Chairman Chebukati: 'The complainant is duly registered as a voter. The respondent's decision of September 10, 2019 declining the nomination of the complainant on account that he was not registered as a voter is hereby set aside.'
As a result, IEBC ordered the processing of Mariga's application for nomination as the Jubilee Party's candidate for the Kibra constituency by-election, scheduled for November 7, 2019.
