Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja, who is facing four petitions seeking to bar him out from the city’s gubernatorial race, has been given an ultimatum to respond to the four petitions against him by 12 pm on Monday, June 13.
The Dispute Resolution Committee of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), chaired by Mr. Titus Tiego, granted Mr. Sakaja’s lawyer, Mr. Adrian Kamotho, a request for more time to respond to the petitions.
“I urge this tribunal to give me more time to file a formal application seeking to have one of three members of the IEBC tribunal recuse himself and also to answer the allegations filed against Mr. Sakaja,” Kamotho urged the tribunal.
The four petitions filed against Sakaja sought to have Senator Sakaja’s IEBC clearance revoked due to questionable academic certificates.
The tribunal also issued an order combining all four petitions and directing the returning officer and complainants to file responses by tomorrow’s close of business.
The IEBC dispute resolution panel will hear Sakaja’s case on Wednesday, June 15.
Mr. Sakaja’s qualification has been raised in various quarters, with the University of Nairobi chipping in.
Dennis Gakuu Wahome, one of the petitioners, wanted the Senator removed from office since he didn’t have a degree, as required by the Constitution.
He claimed that the Senator filed a false form in 2017 claiming to have graduated from the University of Nairobi (UoN).
