Mombasa,KENYA:A Mombasa resident has moved to court to challenge the gubernatorial candidature of Mombasa senator Hassan Sarai Omar.
Hamilitoni Mwakitele Mwalongo is also seeking to sue the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission for allegedly violating constitution by clearing Mr.Sarai to contest for the gubernatorial seat.
In a petition filed in Mombasa high court on Friday by lawyer Jesse David Odoury all state officers seeking to contest for gubernatorial seats including the Members of Parliament and senators ought to have resigned from their positions.
Addressing journalists in Mombasa after filing the petition Mr. Odoury said Mps and senators’ failing to resign means they are still officers thus not qualified for the position of an aspiring governor in August polls.
Mr. Odoury further clarified that the petitioner was neither interested in stopping senator Sarai from contesting the seat nor wasting IEBC’s time but instead he was protecting the constitution.
‘We want to let the public note that the constitution does not allow state officials to contest the governor positions he said.
The petition filed in court cuts across all the sitting mps and senators and was only filed in Mombasa court because the petitioner is a Mombasa resident.