Nyeri Gubernatorial hopeful blocked from race over ‘fake’ degree

Nyeri independent gubernatorial candidate, Thuo Mathenge, has lost a bid to have his name included in the ballot papers after the High Court in Nyeri struck out his petition.

High Court Judge, Abigail Muchira, struck out the petition on basis that Thuo failed to exhaust the laid down mechanism aimed at addressing such disputes as per the election laws.

Muchira ruled that Thuo’s petition was premature since he should have addressed his reservation first with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Disputes Resolution Committee.

IEBC struck out Mathenge’s name from the list of Nyeri gubernatorial candidates following a petition filed by a Nyeri resident, who argued that the businessman did not have a degree certificate.

Mathenge was vying for the Nyeri governor seat as an independent candidate after Jubilee Party rejected his candidature on grounds that the degree he obtained from a Ugandan university was fraudulent.