Kiambu UDA senatorial aspirant Karungo Thangwa gets court orders to run in August

Kiambu senatorial aspirant Karungo Thang'wa can breathe a sigh of relief after the high court reversed the decision to disqualify him from the race.

High court Judge Rachel Ng'etich in her ruling said the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) could not block Karungo from vying because he was impeached from office.

Justice Ngetich said there was not proof of corruption laid before the courts to push for his removal as a County Executive Committee Member in the County of Kiambu.

The court ordered that the aspirant be given the green light to vie and that his name be included in the ballot papers too.

Kiambu senatorial aspirant Karungo Thang'wa Kiambu senatorial aspirant Karungo Thang'wa Pulse Live Kenya

"This court finds no reason to bar Karungo from vying for the Kiambu senator position," Ng'etich said in her ruling.

Karungo was disqualified by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) on Sunday, June 19 on grounds of having been impeached from office.

READ: UDA candidate for Kiambu disqualified from August elections

The tribunal directed that having been removed from office through impeachment, Karungo is permanently disqualified from holding public office.

In his defense, the UDA candidate claimed that he resigned from office before the impeachment.

Karungo Wa Thang'wa disqualified from August elections Pulse Live Kenya

After giving him an opportunity to defend himself, the tribunal upheld the decision by the Kiambu Returning Officer to bar him from the contest.

Eyes shift to the IEBC to see whether it will clear the senator hopeful even after the first batch of ballot papers arrived.

IEBC Chair Wafula Chebukati also poured water on claims that the commission had sourced some of the sensitive documents from neighbouring Uganda.

IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati during a stakeholders meeting with the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) on July 7, 2022 Pulse Live Kenya

“Today, we are receiving the first batch of ballot papers arriving today. All ballot papers will arrive from JKIA. No ballot papers are arriving from Uganda,” he said.

The commission is expecting 132,722,748 ballot papers from Greece firm Inform Lykos, and no extra papers will be printed.