A voter has petitioned the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Dispute Resolution Committee to revoke Taita Taveta Governor Granton Samboja’s clearance on questionable academic papers.
Mr Jeremiah Kiwoi has requested that the governor be declared unfit to run in the upcoming election, claiming that the IEBC’s clearance on June 6 violates Chapter Six of the Constitution and legislative rules on integrity.
The petitioner has named the county chief as the first respondent and IEBC as the second respondent.
Also identified as interested parties are Kenyatta University, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), the Kenya National Examination Council, and the Kenya National Qualifications Authority.
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The petitioner chastised the IEBC for clearing Samboja despite substantial evidence of academic paper fraud and a lack of integrity in violation of the Constitution and statutory laws.
“The clearance of the governor to run for elections as a gubernatorial candidate will greatly aggrieve the residents of Taita Taveta County, who for the last five years have had to contend with the leadership of an unqualified person as their governor, one whom the EACC investigated and established did not meet the educational requirement to contest for the position of governor,” read the petition in part.
He claims that enabling an unqualified person to run for public office is not just a threat to the Constitutional order, but also to efforts to uphold, defend, and preserve the law, in the petition filed on June 10.
After Kenyatta University revealed that the governor was not a student of the institution of higher learning for his undergraduate studies, he was found to have faked academic certificates, argued Mr Kiwoi.
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Aspirants for the position of county governor must have a degree from a recognized university, the law dictates.
The electoral commission has created a 10-day window for dissatisfied aspirants to file complaints with the committee charged with hearing problems stemming from the recently finished registration of candidates for various elected offices, which has received 262 complaints so far.
Mr Samboja had earlier criticized his opponents for questioning his academic performance during a rally in Voi’s Mwakiki neighborhood, urging them to pitch their ideas to voters.
The county boss stated that he possesses the intellectual capacity to manage the county and that he will not yield to his opponents’ pressure.
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During the rally, he claimed to have attended Ngangao Secondary School, which appears to be in conflict with the documents he showed to the IEBC in 2017.
Mr Samboja presented credentials for his secondary education and undergraduate studies from Kenyatta High School and Kenyatta University in 2017.
It is unclear whether the governor submitted the same disputed certificates to the commission for clearance on June 6.
“Since 2017 up to date they claim that I am uneducated. Their problem is because I schooled in Ngangao and not Kenyatta like them. I want to ask you, are all your children in Kenyatta High School?” he posed to the residents.
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“Some of your children go to the local schools. Are they not getting the required education? Is it a must for all children to school there? That contempt should stop,” he said.
The governor attributed his poor performance to Treasury’s delayed disbursement of funds, his illness, and the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Even if an angel descends from heaven to govern this county little development will be implemented if the national government fails to disburse money on time,” he said.
For the Taita Taveta gubernatorial seat, the commission has cleared 13 candidates.
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He is facing opposition from; Patience Nyange (Narc), Andrew Mwadime (independent), Stephen Mwakesi (PEP), Dan Mwazo (Wiper), former Governor John Mruttu (UDA), and Prof Agnes Mwang’ombe (ANC).
Others are; Faustine Mghendi (TSP), Thomas Mwakwida (ODM), Onesmus Mwinzi (independent), Godino Mwasaru (independent), George Mwandembo (DAP-K), and Francis Mwaita of Safina Party.
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