Magwanga Free To Run For Homa Bay Gubernatorial Seat,IEBC

Homa Bay County gubernatorial candidate and Kasipul MP Hon.Joseph Oyugi Magwanga on 5th July 2017 received the approval from the Electoral and Boundaries Commission(IEBC) to run for the seat after speculations took centre stage that he had been disqualified from the race because his degree certificate was questionable.

In a letter addressed to Magwanga's lawyers Andrew Muma & Kanjama Advocates,the IEBC Chairman Mr.Wafula Chebukati confirmed, "Hon.Magwanga's name as an Independent candidate for Homa Bay County gubernatorial seat appears in the list of aspirants which is and shall be published as a corrigendum to the list of candidates in the Kenya Gazette." 

The University of Nairobi has also brought to and end malicious allegations regarding his academic qualification which his political detractors have been using as a campaign weapon.

In a letter dated 6th July,2017 the varsity's Senior Assistant Registrar (Examinations) Mr.E.M Mbuva clarified that Mr.Joseph Oyugi Magwanga was a registered undergraduate student Registration Number L46/41082/2013 in the School of Continuing and Distance Learning, University of Nairobi.On successful completion of the course, he was conferred the degree of Bachelor of Project Planning and Management at Second Class Honours, Upper Division at a congregation held on 4th December 2015."

Hell almost broke loose in Homa Bay town on Wednesday following revelations that Magwanga's name was not among those gazetted. Magwanga, who decamped from ODM citing bungled nominations, will face off with incumbent Cyprian Awiti as an independent candidate. Tom Alila (Jubilee Party) and Medo Misama (Independent) are also in the governor race but the contest is shaping up as a major battle between Awiti and Magwanga.

The county headquarters was tensed for the better part of the day after reports reached residents that the aspirant's name had been omitted from the governor aspirants' roll. The Kasipul MP's supporters threatened to hold a major demonstration in the lakeside town over the matter.

Protests rocked the county in April after Awiti was declared the winner of the ODM governor nominations.

Residents were up in arms, saying they will support Jubilee Party leader Uhuru Kenyatta in the poll.

The group said they expected Magwanga to win on grounds that the sitting governor has failed on matters development and fair distribution of county resources.