IEBC Gazettes Five More Presidential Candidates for October 26th Election

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has gazetted five additional names of Presidential candidates to take part in the October 26th repeat election.

IEBC Chairperson Wafula Chebukati has added Thirdway Alliance's Dr Ekuru Aukot, Tunza Alliance's Abduba Dida and Independent candidates Joseph Nyagah, Michael Wainaina and Japheth Kavinga.

The five will join President Uhuru Kenyatta of Jubilee and National Super Alianc's Raila Odinga in the presidential contest for the fresh election ordered by the Supreme Court.

Chebukati said the gazette notice is an amendment of an earlier one issued on September 29th on the candidature of President Kenyatta and his nemesis Raila Odinga.

However, the electoral commission sidelined former Lugari Member of Parliament Cyrus Jirongo after he was recently declared bankrupt by the High Court.

“The candidate Shakhalaga Kwa Jirongo is not eligible to participate in the fresh presidential election as he does not qualify under articles 137 and 99 (2) (f) of the Constitution,” Mr Chebukati said.

The former MP was declared insolvent by the court, thus failing to fulfill the constitutional requirement that one can't run for the country's top seat after being declared bankrupt.

However, in a letter to Chief Justice David Maraga, Jirongo said that he was shocked to learn that he had been declared bankrupt without his knowledge.