IEBC clears three aspirants for Mathare mini-polls as Semelang'o protests over malicious posters

Three candidates have so far been cleared by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to contest in the Mathare by-election.

The by-election, which has attracted 11 aspirants, will be held on August 7. Among those cleared are George Wanjohi of TNA, who will be looking to recapture the seat he lost through a court petition, Steven Kariuki (ODM) and Barrack Obath (Independent).

IEBC returning officer Joseph Masindet said four of the 11 aspirants have expressed interest in contesting the seat as independent candidates, while the others are vying under different political parties.

Mr Wanjohi exuded confidence that he would recapture the seat, saying he was keen on completing development projects he had initiated before his election was nullified.

"Our development agenda is still on and we intend to continue with the projects we had begun. We believe the elections will be carried out diligently and in a free and fair manner," he said.

TNA chairman Johnson Sakaja said the party would conduct door-to-door campaigns to ensure that they retained the seat.

Mr Kariuki was also upbeat about winning the race, challenging the electoral body to ensure a free and fair process. "All we are asking is that IEBC conducts free, fair and transparent elections as they are mandated to do by the Constitution. We will mobilise people through vigilant campaigning in a bid to ensure that we clinch the seat," said Kariuki.

Budalang'i MP Ababu Namwamba said ODM would campaign for Kariuki and urged IEBC to disclose early the officials overseeing the by-election.

 UHURUTO PROJECT

Meanwhile, Gor Semelang'o, who is also in the race, has written to the IEBC chairman protesting the use of a photo depicting him as a project of Uhuruto by his alleged competitors.

Mr Semelang'o has vehemently denied any association with TNA or URP and has described himself as an independent candidate in the by-election.

In the letter to Issack Hassan, Semelang'o claims the posters, evidently and unequivocally printed in TNA colours, were circulated in areas inhabited predominantly by members of communities that would pass as his political support base.

"I wish to draw your attention to an event where my photo has been cropped in between photo-shopped posters bearing the portraits of the President and the Deputy President," read the letter dated July 1.

"I find this to construe gross misconduct by my opponent(s) aimed at impugning, undermining and discrediting my efforts to effectively campaign as an independent candidate in the forthcoming by-election," he says.

Copied to the Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo, Mathare Constituency returning officer and Huruma Police Station OCS, the letter requests an expeditious and unbiased investigation into the incident.

"This is not only an electoral but a criminal offence. I shall not be cowed by any of these underhand tactics from my opponents, as Mathare people are ready to see a leader who is sensitive to their needs and aspirations," he said.

Speaking to The Standard, Semelang'o identified provisions of clean water, security, sanitation and education opportunities as some of the issues he would tackle on behalf of Mathare people.