Africa-Press – Kenya. Narc party did not qualify for any nominated MP seat in Parliament in the 2022 general elections, IEBC has said. The electoral agency told Justice Eric Ogolla that journalist Tony Gachoka does not belong to the National Rainbow Coalition party.
The commission made the remarks in an attempt to persuade the court to dismiss a petition filed by Gachoka. Gachoka is challenging the omission of his name from persons that were to be nominated to the national assembly by Narc.
The commission cited documents from the office of the registrar of political parties showing that Gachoka does not belong to any registered party. “Even if he belonged to Narc, the party does not qualify,” IEBC said.
Under Article 97 Constitution, political parties in Kenya are obligated to nominate persons to the National Assembly to represent special interest groups including persons living with disabilities. Narc confirmed to the court that it did not qualify to nominate anyone as it did not attain the required threshold.
“IEBC considers the number of MPs a party got. Narc didn’t qualify for nomination. The threshold is 24 elected MPs to get one single nomination. It can be a youth, woman or person living with disabilities. We didn’t attain the number. Therefore Gachoka could not qualify for nomination,” Narc said.
Gachoka in his suit claimed he is a member of both Narc and Azimio la Umoja coalition. He sued Narc and IEBC for omitting his name from the list of members nominated to the National Assembly
Gachoka claims that he was to be nominated by the National Rainbow Coalition under the Azimio Coalition as a person living with disability but realised that his name was not on the list published by the IEBC.
On Tuesday Gachoka through his lawyer Cecil Miller cited a letter by Narc party leader Charity Ngilu that captures the gist of his petition. The letter is dated June 27, 20222. It confirms his nomination to the assembly to represent persons living with disabilities.
He stated that after he resigned from ODM and joined NaRC, Ngilu assured him that he would be top on the list for nomination to Parliament. “I submit that the fact Gachoka was moving from ODM to Narc while still under the Azimio coalition should not be used to declare him party less as has been alleged by Narc and IEBC to deny him appearing in the nomination list,” Miller said. The court will deliver its judgment on February 9.
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