KETHI Kilonzo, the daughter of late Makueni Senator will know her political fate today when she presents her nomination papers to the Makueni County returning officer in Wote.
Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission chairman Isaack Ahmed yesterday flatly refused to comment on TNA's complaint that Kethi is not a registered voter and is therefore ineligible to contest the Makueni by-election.
Isaack said the matter will be settled once and for all today when Kethi presents her nomination papers. He also declined to comment on reports that an IEBC official had, in an apparent response to the TNA claims, confirmed that Kethi is registered as a voter in Karen polling centre, Lang'ata Constituency. The official had also provided her electors number, passport number and acknowledgement slip to support this.
Issack said that while a candidate must be registered to vote, he or she must not necessarily be registered in the constituency where they intend to run for elective office.
"One only needs to be a registered as a voter anywhere in any part of the country," Isaack explained.
Kethi has reiterated that she is qualified in all aspects to contest in the by- election. Her party chairman David Musila and Cord principal Moses Wetangula also confirmed that she has met all the requirements for her to be nominated and participate in the elections.
"I have not received any complaints against her candidature and I therefore have no reason to bar her from presenting her papers. We will look at her papers when she comes tomorrow," the Makueni county returning officer Salad Boru said.
TNA seems determined to have Kethi barred if the complaint by the party's legal affairs secretary Jasper Mbiuki submitted to the IEBC on Tuesday is anything to go by.
In the letter, the party says Kethi is not a registered voter and therefore does not meet the criteria for nomination or even seeking elective office.
Musila said he had personally confirmed that Kethi had a valid voter's card. He said he suspected that TNA only checked for her name on the Makueni voter's register unawares that she did not have to be registered as a voter in Makueni to run for the senate office left vacant following the death of her father.
The downside of not being registered as a voter in Makueni will be that she cannot vote for herself in the by-election.
"They will be in for a rude shock if they clear her. We are determined to stop her even if it means a court action since we know we have our facts right and the law is on our side," a top TNA official told the Star.
Yesterday, Boru cleared former Kilome MP John Harun Mwau (PICK) and Makueni Women Representative loser Jane Kitundu (Labour) to run in the July 22 by-election. Mwau ran and lost to Kethi's father during the March elections. Jubilee's Philip Kaloki turned up late and was rescheduled to present his papers this morning. Boru said he expects Kethi to present her papers at 2pm today. Ben Mulwa who is running as an independent (not affiliated to any political party) is also elected to submit his papers today.
The official campaigns start on July 1.
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