Former presidential candidate, Mwalimu Abduba Dida, is one person who would freely speaks out his mind. Since his two-time loss in the 2013 and 2017 elections, he has had no political alignments other than loyalty to his own Alliance for Real Change Party.
On Monday, he added his word to the contested Kibra Parliamentary seat.
After IEBC gave its much-awaited ruling to uphold Jubilee’s candidate for the seat, Macdonald Mariga’s candidacy, he expressed his dissatisfaction with that decision. According to him, Mariga will be a joker in parliament if he wins the Kibra by-election.
IEBC has finally cleared the young man to run for Kibra parliamentary seat! Mungu saidia Wakenya. A McDonald Mariga win will be the beginning of all sorts of jokers in parliament. He has never voted or saw the importance of voting, you are now asking the country to vote for you?
— #TeamMwalimuDida (@mwalimu_dida) September 16, 2019
Mwalimu Dida had earlier on suggested that former MP, the Late Ken Okoth’s wife should take the Kibra parliamentary mantle.
Kibra Constituency.
The late Hon Okoth spent most of his life with his wife. So if there is anyone to carry on with his projects, it is the wife. What if the late Hon Okoth had taken loans? Let the wife hold the position till 2022. After that, you can bring in your surrogates.
— #TeamMwalimuDida (@mwalimu_dida) August 29, 2019
Among other people who strongly disagreed with IEBC’s decision to clear Mariga include lawyer Donald Kipkorir and Suna East MP Junet Mohamed.
With tremendous respect, I wholly disagree with IEBC ruling on McDonald Mariga. That the law PROHIBITS all residents of Kibra from registering as Voters once the Seat was declared Vacant but allow Outsiders to register as Voters & contest the seat is a Great Travesty Of Justice.
— Donald B Kipkorir (@DonaldBKipkorir) September 16, 2019
Thanks wakili. You are a registered voter in Keiyo south constituency but you want to represent Moiben constituency and the people who want to vote for you are not allowed to register but yourself you can vie and you have no relationship with the people you want to represent. https://t.co/WIuZ7pZm1H
— Hon. Junet Mohamed (@JunetMohamed) September 16, 2019
ODM’s Communications Director Philip Etale divulged his thoughts on the decision saying, ” McDonald Mariga, karibu Kibra. You will learn so many things including knowing how to spend money on people who have no time for the owner of that money. Thank you.”
Mariga had appealed an earlier decision by IEBC to disqualify him from vying in the November 7 by-election as his registration details were not found in the voters’ register.
In his petition, Mariga sought the intervention of the Dispute Resolution Committee as he claimed to have registered as a voter and, therefore, qualified to run in the mini polls.
Through a ruling read by Chairman Wafula Chebukati on Monday, IEBC allowed Mariga to contest for the parliamentary seat reversing an earlier decision that barred him from being on the ballot.