23 Candidates cleared to contest for Kibra parliamentary seat
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has cleared 23 candidates for the by-election in Kibra Constituency, which is scheduled for November 7.
The electoral body said 16 candidates will vie under various political parties while 7 are independent candidates.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, IEBC said 30 candidates had registered to contest for the seat, but seven of them were either disqualified or did not appear for clearance.
Among those who were disqualified was Jubilee Party candidate McDonald Mariga, after his name could not be found in the 2017 voters register, meaning that he did not meet the minimum requirements to vie for the Kibra parliamentary seat.
The Jubilee Party has however said it will lodge an appeal over the decision with the IEBC Disputes Resolutions Tribunal.
The campaign period for the by-election commenced on September 9 and will run until November 7, according to a gazette notice from the IEBC dated August 16.
The Kibra parliamentary seat fell vacant following the death of former Member of Parliament Ken Okoth, who succumbed to cancer in July.
His brother Bernard ‘Imran’ Okoth will contest the seat on an Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party ticket after emerging victorious in the party nominations last weekend.
Other candidates are ANC’s Eliud Owalo, Eng. Khamisi Butichi of Ford Kenya, Editar Ochieng, who will be running on Ukweli Party’s ticket among other aspirants.