Why Maina Njenga's nomination papers were rejected by Jubilee Party

To uphold integrity in the nomination and electoral processes, the Jubilee Party on Friday rejected nomination papers for the former Mungiki sect leader Maina Njenga.

Njenga, who is jostling to oust the incumbent Godfrey Gitahi Kariuki, alias G.G Kariuki, for the Laikipia Senatorial seat in the August 8th polls, had his papers rejected by the Jubilee Party for his earlier perceived links with outlawed Mungiki sect.

Earlier, Maina Njenga denied having any links with the group, which was widely been accused of maiming and hacking people to death during the 2007/2008 post-election violence, saying that he, in fact changed, and had started preaching in his Kitengela based Hope International Ministries Church in 2014.

The rejection of Njenga’s papers by the Jubilee Party comes in the wake of viral news that over 30 chiefs in his Laikipia area who attend his political meetings would be axed by the government.

Njenga joins a long list of people baying to unseat G.G Kariuki. Others who are interested in the seat include Ndung’u Wangenye, Samuel Kabichwa, Douglas Kiguru and Githiri Nyaga.

Chapter 6 of the Constitution

The 2010 constitution has a whole chapter on integrity and leadership, which the polls team Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) insists the political class should abide by.

Njenga falls short of the chapter, raising questions on his integrity to hold any public office, owing to the linkages to a group that killed hundreds of people during the chaotic 2007/2008 post-election violence that left hundreds of people dead and thousands displaced.

Officers at the Jubilee party’s headquarters at Pangani, Nairobi, refused to receive the papers, citing integrity issues with the politician.

Njenga was rushing to beat the deadline set by Jubilee Party for submission of nomination papers today (Saturday 4th March), or be locked out of the highly touted party primaries slated for between April 13 and 26.

In 2014, Njenga was close to the Opposition figurehead Raila Odinga and in June 2014, hosted the ODM leader at his Karen home after narrowly escaping death in a hail of bullets.

He had attributed the May 2014 shooting to what he said was his refusal to file a statement in defence of President Kenyatta’s International Criminal Court (ICC) case.