Presidential hopeful wants IEBC boss Wafula Chebukati jailed

Presidential hopeful, Peter Solomon Gichira, now wants the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairman, Wafula Chebukati, held for contempt of court and commit him to civil jail.

Gichira says that the commission led by Chebukati failed to receive his documents for nomination and make a determination within 36 hours as directed by the court on June 16.

He claims that IEBC willfully disobeyed the orders of the court compelling it to furnish him with the reasons of its decision.

Gichira says that on June 19 this year, he presented his papers for nomination to the IEBC, where the commission officials acknowledged that all but one of his documents were okay.

In his affidavit, he says that the IEBC officials told him that the signatures of supporters he had submitted had not met the threshold and consequently went ahead to reject his application for nomination as a presidential candidate.

“The decision taken by the respondents was done hastily and without any regard to the rules of natural justice,” argues Gichira.

He claims that IEBC rejected his nomination papers and further declined to furnish him with adequate reasons for the same.

“The respondent’s simple and hastily endorsed its decision on my nomination papers in handwriting and attached a sketchy schedule whose authenticity is highly questionable,” adds Gichira.

He argues that he does not know how the respondents arrived at its unverifiable decision adding that he faces an imminent threat of not being allowed to vie as a presidential candidate in the upcoming General Election even after satisfying all the other requirements.