On Sunday, June 19, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) certified UDA candidate Johnson Sakaja to run for Nairobi Governor in the August 9 election.
A petition challenging Sakaja’s academic qualifications, specifically the degree requirement, was dismissed by the IEBC Disputes Tribunal.
On Sunday, June 19, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) certified UDA candidate Johnson Sakaja to run for Nairobi Governor in the August 9 election.
A petition challenging Sakaja’s academic qualifications, specifically the degree requirement, was dismissed by the IEBC Disputes Tribunal.
The IEBC was not mandated to check the legitimacy of candidates’ academic documents, according to the tribunal, and that such inquiries should be entrusted to the courts and criminal investigating agencies.
“The returning officer and his agents are not legally empowered and thus lack requisite jurisdiction to go beyond the provisions of Regulation 47 of the Elections General Regulation (2012) in authenticating a degree certificate.
“The Second respondent has no jurisdiction to investigate or otherwise ascertain the authenticity of academic certificates presented to it by political party aspirants beyond the Regulation 47. Our final order is this complaint be hereby dismissed with no cost,” the Tribunal noted.
