FreeKenya Movement have Celebrated victory from a court ruling that allowed Independent Candidates to form coalitions and creation of an office of the registrar of Independent Candidates.
Bob Njagi the Chairman of FreeKenya Movement and also a Kajiado MPaspirantsaid they applaud Judge Anthony Mrima for giving them victory.
“We call on IEBC to give a 7-days window for independent candidates disenfranchised to by these regulations to present their nomination papers, otherwise there is no elections to speak of with such damning judgment hanging over the elections,” added Njagi.
They said that IEBC is allowing itself to be a weapon against independent candidate and its commissioners should resign.
They added that the draconian regulations that IEBC has pushed upon independent candidates was first mooted in 2017 when it was clear that the political parties had bungled elections and there was going to be an avalanche of movement to take up independent slots and there could be a huge public support for independent candidates in those elections.
“We are reminding the IEBC that the court pronounced itself that these regulations serially broke several articles of the constitution. If they insist that they want to keep defending this law, we shall just wait until the elections are over and nullify them through court and recommend that these officials mentioned above the surcharged for the losses,” added Njagi.
Freekenya started in 2018 during discussion of loading of the VAT on petroleum products and by September 20when the Bill came up for discussion in parliament pushed MPs not to adopt the bill but they did so, prompting the movement to start a referendum initiative.
“Part of the issues the movement was pushing for was formulation of people’s government structures to ensure quantifiable public participation and taxation reforms to abolish taxes on basic and essential commodities including petrol kerosene and diesel,” added Njagi.
Justice Mrima said it was unfair for the Wafula Chekubati-led commission to require the candidates to hunt for signatures and accompany them with the IDs while those who are vying after being nominated by their parties were not required to do the same.
The judge said the differential treatment was against equality and the right for all to vie or seek an elective post.
According to the judge, IEBC already has data on all persons who have registered as voters. He said it can use the same data to ascertain if a person has the required threshold of support.
