Why Mariga did not vote in the Kibra by-election

Why Mariga did not vote in the Kibra by-election

Jubilee candidate MacDonald Mariga did not cast his vote on Thursday in the Kibra by-election.

Though he is one of the 24 candidates vying for the Kibra MP seat, the football star only visited a polling station to show his support.

At around 10:30am, Mariga arrived at Lindi Mosque polling station.

He wheeled in one of the voters into the centre, took photos with his supporters and went back outside to speak to journalists.

“Ni mama nilimpata, mama mlemavu, nikaona wacha nimsaidie, apige kura na ujumbe ambao napeleka kwa watu au wakenya wote na IEBC ni kwamba sisi ambao tumeishi diaspora hatujapatiwa nafasi ya kuwa registered kuwa voters na tuko zaidi ya milioni moja. Naomba IEBC next time watumie mbinu zao na nikiingia bunge hiyo ndio ntapush sana,” Mariga explained on Thursday.

Mcdonald Mariga: Sisi tuliosihi nchi za nje, hatujapatiwa fursa ya kupiga kura au kusajiliwa. Nikiingia bungeni, nitapigania wanaoishi nchi za nje wapate nafasi ya kupiga kura na kuwakilisha Kenya#KibraVotes pic.twitter.com/OI4N7j6jSf

— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) November 7, 2019

 

Mariga, who is vying for the seat on a Jubilee ticket, is not registered as a voter in Kibra Constituency but in Starehe.

The electoral commission’s Disputes Resolution Tribunal however cleared him to vie for the seat on September 16.

They had earlier invalidated his candidature after his name was found to be missing from the 2017 voters register.

IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati later faulted the returning officer saying an updated register from Kariokor Social Hall in Starehe Constituency was not taken into account.

Mariga’s legal team had argued that according to the law, registration of voters is a continuous exercise and as long as one is registered anywhere, they can vie for an election.

There are 24 candidates seeking the Kibra MP seat: they include Mariga (Jubilee), Bernard Okoth (ODM), Eliud Owalo (ANC), Khamisi Butichi (Ford Kenya), Anaciet Dorn (DP), Martin Andati (Modern Alliance Party), Felix Anditi (Independent), Ibrahim Kimorko (Roots Party) among others.

The seat fell vacant following the death of Ken Okoth who succumbed to cancer in July this year.

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Kibra mariga Ken Okoth

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