On Thursday, July 7, the High Court rejected the decision of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) dispute resolution committee to bar Kiambu Senatorial candidate Karungo wa Thangwa from running.
The High Court judge faulted IEBC for disqualifying him, citing a lack of substantial grounds to keep him out of the race, in his ruling that saves his senatorial bid.
The court also upheld the returning officer’s decision due to him being removed from office and presenting himself for nominations after the deadline had passed.
According to the tribunal, IEBC followed the law by refusing to clear the complainant.
“The respondent acted within the law by declining to clear the complainant because he had been removed from office and had presented himself for nominations outside of the time limit.” “In light of the foregoing, the committee approves the returning officer’s decision,” the court ruled.
The committee’s chairman, George Murugu, issued a decision in June that dismissed Karungo and upheld the county Returning Officer’s decision to bar him from running for the senatorial seat.
“The committee upholds the Returning Officer’s decision to decline to nominate Karungo, and the complaint is hereby dismissed,” Murugu ruled.
While dismissing his petition, the IEBC Dispute Resolution Committee noted that Karungo had been removed from office and that all orders preventing the removal had been lifted.
Karungo, through his lawyer Ng’ang’a Mbugua, filed a complaint with the committee, dismissing the IEBC’s claim that he is ineligible because he was impeached for alleged gross misconduct.
Lawyer Mbugua explained that his client was neither impeached nor removed from office, and that the IEBC’s decision was incorrect.
Karugo is a former Kiambu County Executive Committee Member for Youth Affairs who is running on the UDA ticket.
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