Jubilee Party Candidate McDonald Mariga can now breathe a sigh of relief after his candidature in the forthcoming Kibra by-election was reinstated.
However, the Jubilee candidate, despite being confirmed a registered voter, will not be able to give himself an assist in his bid to score a political goal in the by-election.
This follows a gazette notice, dated August 16, which suspended any revision of voter register in the area until November 18.
“The registration and revision of the register of voters for the said electoral area is suspended until Monday, November 18,” read in part the notice.
In that reference, any willing person seeking to be a registered voter in Kibra will not be able to do so.
In addition, those seeking to change their place of voting to any polling station in the same Constituency will wait until the stated date.
Thus, Mariga cannot vote in any other station than that which he was registered in at Starehe Constituency.
Mariga, who stormed politics for the first time, survived a red card after the Kibra Returning Officer, Beatrice Muli, ruled that he wasn’t a registered voter.
The former football star, however, appealed the decision at the IEBC’s Dispute Resolution Committee where he successfully petitioned the Kibra electoral boss.
The Committee, under the leadership of the Commission’s Chair Wafula Chebukati, directed its Returning Officer in the area to process Mariga’s nomination application.
“The respondent is hereby ordered to process the Complainant’s Application for nomination as Jubilee Party’s candidate for Kibra Constituency By-election slated for November 7th, in accordance to the Law,” stated Chebukati.
The Jubilee Candidate is now facing ODM Party flag bearer Bernard Okoth, brother to the Late Kibra MP Ken Okoth, ANC’s Eliud Owalo among many other candidates.
The by-election is slated for November 7.