Will Waititu be RED-CARDED on Sunday to throw him out of the August 8 Polls?

The political fate of 20 political bigwigs in both Jubilee Party and NASA hangs in the balance after they were blacklisted of having bleached Chapter 6 of the Constitution over various integrity issues.

Presenting the list to IEBC and other members of the Chapter Six Working Group on Wednesday, human rights activists under the National Integrity Alliance petitioned the electoral commission to deny the politicians clearance to run in the August 8 General Election.

The politicians, have been accused of cumulatively responsible for the loss of KES. 16.8 billion in public funds

Well-placed sources within Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission show that about 22 sitting governors and several aspirants have been found wanting and could be barred from participating in the August polls.

Those implicated in the list include governors Hassan Joho (Mombasa), Evans Kidero (Nairobi), Alfred Mutua (Machakos), Okoth Obado (Migori), Cyprian Awiti (Homa Bay), Ken Lusaka (Bungoma) and Mwangi WA Iria (Murang’a).

Others are Nairobi Senator Mike Mbuvi Sonko, Kirinyaga aspiring governor Anne Waiguru, MPs Ferdinand Waititu (Kabete), Alfred Keter (Nandi), Asman Kamama (Tiaty), Elizabeth Ongoro (nominated), Moses Kuria (Gatundu South), Oscar Sudi (Kapseret), and Matthew Lempurkel

(Laikipia North).

The rights group seeks to have all aspirants with questionable reputations barred from the election as many of those who won the just-concluded party primaries cannot pass integrity tests. The allegations against them include abuse of office, audit queries about finances and participation in violence.

The list, jointly compiled by Transparency International, Mzalendo Trust, Inuka Trust and Society for International Development, will be updated in subsequent days.

Activist Irungu Houghton of the Society for International Development said they shared the list with relevant state agencies for action.

“We have handed this list to the vetting agencies for action. It is not our role to register or to clear aspirants,” he said.

The blacklisted candidates are:

Cyprian Awiti (Homa Bay)
Hassan Joho (Mombasa)
Kenneth Lusaka (Bungoma)
Mwangi Wa Iria (Murang’a)
Alfred Mutua (Machakos)
Evans Kidero (Nairobi)
Okoth Obado (Migori)
Anne Waiguru (Jubilee's Kirinyaga governor nominee)
Gladys Shollei (Jubilee nominee for Uasin Gishu woman representative)
Nominated Senator Elizabeth Ongoro
Former Rongo MP Ochillo Ayako
Nairobi Senator Mike Sonko
Laikipia North MP Mathew Lempurkel
Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria
Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi
Kilifi governor hopeful Kazungu Kambi
Dandora MCA Stephen Kambi
Kabete MP Ferdinand Waititu
Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter
Tiaty MP Asman Kamama

Waiguru and NYS

Waiguru has been put on the spot over the National Youth Service scam that initially involved Sh791 million, but a special audit report by the Auditor General, on whose basis the panel launched a probe, put the figure at more than Sh1.8 billion.

Kidero

The Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero was accused of procuring irregularities of up to Sh. 4.6 billion in a plan to launch a metro transportation system. He was also accused bribery and payment of Sh. 200 million to Justice Tunoi and also assaulting Woman rep Rachel Shebesh.

Joho

The Mombasa governor was accused of confessing questionable academic qualifications in the EACC report to get admission to the University of Nairobi.

The claim was that he presented a forged 1992 examination result slip with a C+ mean grade. This was for a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Human Resource Management.

Waititu

Kabete MP and Kiambu county governor aspirant Ferdinand Waititu has been challenged regarding the authenticity of his academic certificates.

Ongoro was accused of perpetrating violence during nominations which saw ODM bar her from contesting the Ruaraka MP seat held by Tom Kajwang.

Keter allegedly violated chapter six of the constitution and the Leadership and Integrity Act, by his conduct in public.

He was accused of abuse of office, obstruction and harassment of legitimate authority at the Gilgil weighbridge on January 21, 2015.

The Governor was accused of embezzlement and loss of up to Sh600 million through procurement irregularities.

He is said to have violated Section 11 of the Election Offences Act, 2016 including the use of and perpetration of violence during ODM nominations.

Kamama was linked to the ongoing clashes in Baringo while Mutua was accused of procurement irregularities for 16 Subaru vehicles worth Sh147 million and ambulances worth Sh145 million.

He was also linked to irregularities in the construction of Kithimani-Makutano road at Sh568 million.