Ekuru Aukot moves to court, seeks postponement of August election
Thirdway Alliance party leader Ekuru Aukot has filed a case at the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi against IEBC Chairperson Wafula Chebukati following the clearance of presidential candidates on the August 9 General Election.
The case has been filed before Justice Anthony Mrima with the electoral commission and the Registrar of Political Parties listed as the respondents.
In his petition, Aukot claims the respondents have bungled the 2022 presidential election after conducting a strange subjective selection process that is unknown to the Kenyan Constitution and by introducing requirements outside the Constitutional threshold in Article 137.
Aukot is also urging the court to pronounce itself on the matter, saying that by operating against the constitution, the process undertaken by the commission should be suspended.
“It is, therefore, urgent and absolutely necessary that this honourable court pronounces itself on the grave constitutional violations listed herein as to allow the presidential elections to go on after such a flawed process is to commit a coup on the people and the constitution of Kenya,” he says in the petition.
He also says the commission applied different rules and differential treatment to presidential aspirants and nominated candidates.
“The Commission has demonstrated a pattern of inconsistency to the detriment of the petitioners as well as the interested parties to this petition.”
According to Aukot, the commission treated the presidential aspirants differently, and that Chebukati dismissed application of some aspirants citing inadequate supporter lists and lack of ID copies.
Aukot is also questioning the academic credentials of some of the cleared presidential candidates. He alleges in his petition that Azimio la Umoja – One Kenya Coalition presidential candidate Raila Odinga was cleared despite finishing his primary level studies.
“It is common knowledge that this candidate never finished primary education and therefore could not have acquired a degree certificate as required by the commission to run for president of Kenya.”