Here's why Mariga did not vote in the Kibra by-election

Jubilee candidate MacDonald Mariga did not cast his vote in the Kibra by-election. He is one of the 24 candidates vying for the Kibra MP seat, the football star only visited a polling station to show his support.

Mariga arrived at Lindi Mosque polling station, walked in one of the voters into the center, took photos with his supporters and went back outside to speak to journalists.

“Ni mama nilimpata, mama mlemavu, nikaona wacha nimsaidie, apige kura na ujumbe ambao napeleka kwa watu au wakenya wote na IEBC ni kwamba sisi ambao tumeishi diaspora hatujapatiwa nafasi ya kuwa registered kuwa voters na tuko zaidi ya milioni moja. Naomba IEBC next time watumie mbinu zao na nikiingia bunge hiyo ndio ntapush sana,” Mariga explained

Mariga, who is vying for the seat on a Jubilee ticket, is not registered as a voter in Kibra Constituency but in Starehe. The electoral commission’s Disputes Resolution Tribunal however cleared him to vie for the seat on September 16.

They had earlier invalidated his candidature after his name was found to be missing from the 2017 voters register.

IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati later come out with an updated register from Kariokor Social Hall in Starehe Constituency was not taken into account.

Mariga’s legal team had argued that according to the law, registration of voters is a continuous exercise and as long as one is registered anywhere, they can vie for an election.

There are 24 candidates seeking the Kibra MP seat: they include Mariga (Jubilee), Bernard Okoth (ODM), Eliud Owalo (ANC), Khamisi Butichi (Ford Kenya), Anaciet Dorn (DP), Martin Andati (Modern Alliance Party), Felix Anditi (Independent), Ibrahim Kimorko (Roots Party) among others.

The seat fell vacant following the death of Ken Okoth who succumbed to cancer in July this year.

Challenges In a constituency dogged with many challenges such as youth unemployment, crime, lack of proper amenities, reliable electricity, affordable housing and unreliable water supply, the issues affecting the electorate have been trivialized by party leaders eager to gain political mileage. Raila accompanied by governors James Ongwae (Kisii) and John Nyagarama (Nyamira) met the Kisii community in Kibra and asked them to support the ODM candidate.