A former presidential aspirant Peter Solomon Gichira has asked the United Kingdom (UK) government to confirm the citizenry of Roots Party presidential candidate George Wajackoyah.
According to Gichira, Wajackoyah should be barred from contesting in the presidential race because he holds dual citizenship, yet the Kenyan Constitution does not allow such.
Gichira through Gachie Mwanza and Co advocates wrote a letter to the British High Commission in Nairobi to clarify if the controversial politician is a registered British citizen and if he renounced his British citizenship.
The letter was copied to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and the Immigration Department, which are both in receipt of the letter.
"It is in line with the above that we do write on behalf of our client to get clear clarification on whether the above-named candidate is still a registered British citizen," the letter read.
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Gichira considered his request urgent and urged the British High Commission to speed up the verification process.
"Your agent and considerate assistance shall be highly appreciated noting the strict timelines with which the upcoming elections are to be held and the ballot papers ought to be printed in advance," Gichira said.
He also claimed Wajackoyah had previously contested for an MP’s seat in the UK, which is only possible if one was a British citizen, Irish citizen or a citizen of any Commonwealth country which does not require leave to be in the UK.
Should the UK confirm Wajackoyah is their citizen, the IEBC may be forced to disqualify Wajackoyah from the August presidential race with only 33 days left to the general election.
Gichira dropped out of the presidential race after he claimed he was abducted by unknown people while he was on his way to the Bomas of Kenya for a pre-nomination meeting with the electoral body.