Laikipia County Gubernatorial aspirant Ndiritu Muriithi has filed a petition before the High Court seeking to reverse a decision by IEBC requiring him to pay a fine of half a million shillings for using President Uhuru Kenyatta’s portraits.
The aspirant, who is an independent candidate argues that the constitution guarantees him the freedom of expression and association.
Muriithi says that the move by IEBC was unconstitutional and unreasonable.
The aspirant, who had been awarded the nomination certificate by Jubilee Party but later handed to the incumbent Joshua Irungu by the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal (PPDT), was directed to destroy all his campaign posters bearing the image of the president.
The IEBC ruled that using President Uhuru and DP William Ruto’s portraits was in breach of the elections rules.
In the petition, Muriithi faults the commission for failing to appreciate that all independent have always associated with their preferred presidential candidate.
The aspirant has also faulted the commission saying it erred by failing to appreciate that the Electoral Code of Conduct only talks of political party symbols and does not stop candidates from associating with each other.
Governor Irungu filed the application before PPDT after Jubilee appeals tribunal nullified results of two polling stations in Laikipia North constituency.
Irungu had been announced the winner after the nominations but JP went ahead to award the certificate to Muriithi.
Jubilee party, Nderitu Mureithi and Sam Thuita Mwangi are the respondents in the case.
