Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi has said he will defend his seat on the Jubilee Party ticket despite him being charged with forging his academic certificates by the EACC.
It is on the basis of those documents that the IEBC cleared him in 2013.
Sudi assured his supporters that his name would be on the ballot box next year.
“I will defend myself in this case and they will not block me from defending my position next year. The EACC should not be misused to fight some of us politically, instead of them dealing with corruption,” Sudi said.
Speaking at Kesses, Uasin Gishu, Sudi said,“When you look at me do I look like a fool really? I am not a fool, and I am confident of retaining my Kapseret seat.”
Sudi was two weeks ago charged with three counts of forging his academic credentials.
He is accused of presenting forged certificates to the electoral commission when he sought nomination in the March 4, 2013 general election.
The court heard he committed the offence on January 31, 2013 at the IEBC offices in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu county.
It is alleged Sudi’s forged documents included a diploma certificate in business management which he claims he received from the Kenya Institute of Management and a KCSE document allegedly from Highway High School, Nairobi. He denied the charges and was freed on a Sh600,000 bond.
There have been fears he may not be cleared to vie. Already, Kapseret has attracted more than 15 aspirants many of them on the Jubilee Party.
Sudi is a close ally of Deputy President William Ruto and enjoys considerable political support in Eldoret.
Some of his supporters allege the charges were politically motivated because of his involvement in the protests against appointment of Prof Laban Ayiro as Moi University’s acting vice chancellor.
Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter claimed Sudi is being fixed politically. He questioned why the charges were being brought up almost four years after the 2013 elections.