On Monday, September 20, the High Court granted Machakos politician Timothy Maneno permission to contest in the Nguu/ Masumba ward by-elections.
The court found validity in Maneno’s constitutional appeal contesting the IEBC’s rejection to allow him to run in the October by-election.
The IEBC was given 72 hours to clear the candidate running on an independent ticket by the court.
“The court has directed IEBC to clear Maneno within 72 hours starting 2pm today, 20th Sept,” the politician’s lawyer Mutuse Mwengi stated.
“The IEBC’s Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC) in its decision held that Timothy Maneno, an independent candidate, didn’t adhere with legal timelines set out in Gazette Notice No. 7520 and his complaint to be registered as a candidate for Nguu/Masumbu CAW by-election is dismissed,” the IEBC earlier stated.
Maneno, moved to the High Court asking the court to find that at the time of declaring the Nguu/ Masumba ward vacancy, as per BBI judgments, IEBC was illegal hence not able to perform such a mandate.
The High Court had stopped IEBC from printing Ballot Papers and proceeding with the ward by-elections until the case filed by the aspirant was heard and determined.
The by-election was declared vacant after the death of the area MCA Harrison Ngui who succumbed to road accident in July.
Hope ballots are not yet printed. Otherwise it would be very expensive for the IEBC and the taxpayer. I don’t understand politicians! The costs involved here are huge compared to the likely benefits to the MCA assuming he wins! Wisdom would be to wait for 2022. The Somali clan approach after demise of Haji make sense. Cuts costs for everyone.
Eshio Mwaiwa of Wiper Party and Daniel Kivuva Musau of UDA are the only aspirants that had been cleared by IEBC to take part in the by-election.
Maneno previously served as MCA in the ward.
