Nyeri industrialist Thuo Mathenge was yesterday cleared by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to vie for Nyeri gubernatorial Governor Seat.
Mathenge who is vying on the new Democratic Party ticket told the Media after clearance that IEBC Wafula Chebukati’s announcement that he would not be cleared for this year’s election caught him by surprise.
He was named alongside former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko vying for Mombasa governorship and Karungo Wa Thangwa, a Kiambu senatorial aspirant; as some of those who would not be cleared.
“Chebukati relied on 2013 information and has no information that I went back to school, but I blame EACC for taking ages to update my education status despite furnishing them with the same on May 23,” said Mathenge.
He added that immediately after Chebukati’s announced, he put together his certificates from PCEA University and photos of his graduation ceremony and invited journalists to react to Chebukati’s remarks.
The jovial Mathenge expressed his joy saying he has now received the green light and now a candidate for the Governor seat.
Immediate he was handed the clearance together with his family and supporters he knelt down at the IEBC offices and held prayers to thank God.
He said he had gone through a lot of tribulations at the hands of detractors who he said were keen to block his candidature.
“They have been going round Nyeri saying that I have been thrown out of the race but now I have forgiven them because my God has answered my prayers,” said Mathenge.
He promised to build more industries in the country to create more jobs for many jobless residents if he ascends to power in the forthcoming general election.
Mathenge has been vying for Nyeri Governor seat since 2013, but there have always been hurdles in the way.
In the 2013 elections, he was cleared by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), but he emerged third. He lost to late Nderitu Gachagua and Wahome Gakuru.
In 2017, the electoral agency rescinded its decision to clear Mathenge after two weeks and expunged his name from the list of contestants.
This was after a petitioner wrote to IEBC, bringing its attention to the degree fiasco. Mathenge dropped out of the elections, which were won by Samuel Wamathai.
Earlier in 2017, Jubilee Party had barred him from contesting for the governorship on its ticket over claims that he held fake academic certificates.
Although Mathenge maintains that former DPP Keriako Tobiko cleared him of the claims, he decided to start all over again and enrolled for a Business Administration degree from PCEA University where he says he graduated in 2019.
“In October 2016, Tobiko wrote to the High Court deputy registrar indicating that there was insufficient evidence to prove that the degree was a forgery. Nonetheless, I went back to class to study the same course I had pursued at the Ugandan university,” said Mathenge.
He said he graduated in 2019 and even attended the graduation ceremony. He forwarded his academic credentials to the EACC for approval.
