After being disqualified from the race for president on August 9, gospel singer and politician Reuben Kigame submitted a petition in an effort to have the results of the election declared invalid.
Kigame was one of the presidential hopefuls that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission decided not to consider because he did not fulfill the qualifications that were outlined for him.
He fell short of the necessary requirement of 48,000 copies of identification cards from at least 24 counties, which was a prerequisite that had to be met by independent candidates who wanted to compete for the top post.
The aspirant contends in his appeal that the IEBC violated his civil and political rights, along with the rights of other independent candidates running for office in the nation.
Kigame accused the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), the first respondent in the case, of failing to approve independent candidates despite a judgement from the High Court that required Kigame to be included on the ballot.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) filed an appeal against the ruling with the Court of Appeal, noting the short time it had to prepare for the election, which was less than a month away. The verdict was also challenged by the commission on the basis of article 137 of the Constitution, which stipulates that an independent candidate must have the support of at least 2,000 voters in each of the majority counties in order to be nominated as a candidate.
Kigame asserts that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is running an unfair nomination process and, as a result, is violating the constitutional provisions that are in place to protect citizens’ political rights.
