By Salim Mutuma
Regulations requiring Presidential aspirants to submit ID copies of their supporters to be cleared are unconstitutional, a court has ruled.
Delivering a judgment to an appeal by four candidates that were disqualified from the race by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission for failing to submit copies of the supporters IDs, Justice Anthony Mrima said the orders contravened the Constitution and the Data Protection Act.
Musician Reuben Kigame, Mwangi wa Iria (Usawa Party), Jimi Wanjigi (Safina) and Thirdway Alliance’ Dr Ekuru Aukot had termed the requirement discriminatory.
The development could interfere with the ongoing preparations even though the court did not order IEBC to include the disqualified candidates in the ballot.
IEBC has already started that printing of ballot papers is underway and it remains unclear if the process will be stopped and done afresh following vindication of the four by the court.
