Former Mathare MP George Wanjohi Surrenders Title to Parliament After Defaulting on Mortgage

Former Mathare MP George Wanjohi has surrendered a parcel of land to parliament after failing to service a mortgage.

Wanjohi took the mortgage before he lost his seat through a court petition and subsequent by-election in 2014.

National Assembly Clerk Michael Sialai said the matter has been settled after the Parliamentary Mortgage Scheme Fund secured the land’s title from the politician.

“We now have a title deed for the mortgage that George Mike Wanjohi took. This matter is now resolved,” Sialai told the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

The fund forwarded Wanjohi’s matter to the Directorate of Litigation and Compliance office in 2017 for further recovery.

Wanjohi lost the Mathare parliamentary seat after the Appeals Court nullified his election victory.

A three-judge bench ruled that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) committed an offense and sustained illegality when it recalled and revoked the victory certificate it had earlier issued to Wanjohi’s opponent Stephen Kariuki.

Kariuki, who contested on an ODM ticket, had been declared the winner of the 2013 election with 34,076 votes against Wanjohi’s 32,156 votes. 

But two days later, the returning officer allegedly reversed the decision by declaring Wanjohi winner of the election with 27,262 votes against Kariuki’s 26,916.

Kariuki went on to win the August 2014 by-election sanctioned by the court.