Relief for Wavinya Ndeti as tribunal clears her to vie in August polls

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission's disputes resolution tribunal has dismissed a case seeking to bar Machakos gubernatorial aspirant Wavinya Ndeti from contesting for the seat due to questionable academic credentials.

The complaint filed by Gideon Ngewa and Kisilu Mutisya both residents of Machakos County, claimed that the former Kathiani Member of Parliament doesn't hold a degree recognized in Kenya.

The tribunal on Sunday dismissed the complaint, citing that it lacked jurisdiction to hear and determine the subject raised by the two voters.

“The returning officer discharged his mandate in accordance with the law. The complaint lacks merit.This is our final orders; that the complaint be and is hereby dismissed with no orders,” the tribunal ruled.

Speaking shortly after the ruling, Wavinya Ndeti who is flying the Wiper Democratic Party flag in the contest accused her opponents of filing the complaints in order to waste her time.

“I thank God, these people just wanted my time. I thank God I did not waste my time, I still continued campaigning on the ground. My father did not sell a cow to take a cow to school, I went to school, they should know that. Let them look for something else,” she said.

 

The tribunal ruling comes barely a day after the National Police Service commenced criminal investigations into the academic credentials she presented before the electoral body. 

The probe were launched to prove the authenticity of Wavinya and Mr Johnson Sakaja's degrees.

"Owing to the constitutional and legal mandate bestowed upon it, the NPS has commenced criminal investigations into the genuineness of the certificates presented for clearance to the IEBC by two political aspirants namely Hon Johnson Sakaja and Hon Wavinya Ndeti and determine if any offense has been committed," read part of a statement from  on Saturday.