- Acting clerk Castro told the Star that his office had not received any resignation letter from the MCAs.
- Okode said he had not resigned and he is eyeing the Ruaraka parliamentary seat.
Mathare North MCA Jared Okode has not resigned.
A letter circulating on social media said the first-term MCA had resigned to run for a parliamentary seat in the August general election.
“I Jared Okoth Okode do hereby confirm my resignation from my office as the Member for Nairobi City County Assembly Mathare North Ward to enable the further aspiration in the oncoming general elections as a member of parliament for Mathare North Constituency,” reads the letter.
The fact-checker has established that the letter was fake and had numerous errors.
The letter was addressed to county assembly speaker Benson Mutura and copied to acting clerk Garvin Castro.
Further, there is no constituency in Nairobi called Mathare North. The county has 17 constituencies. There is Mathare constituency which comprises Kiamaiko, Huruma, Ngei, Mabatini, Hospital and Mlango Kubwa wards.
Mathare North ward is in Ruaraka constituency alongside Utalii, Baba Dogo, Lucky Summer and Korogocho.
When reached for comment, Okode termed the letter fake.
The MCA said he is eyeing the Ruaraka parliamentary seat.
“I have not resigned. The IEBC already gave direction on MCAs seeking parliamentary positions, so why should I resign? The letter is fake," he said.
Acting clerk Castro told the Star that his office had not received any resignation letter from the MCAs.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission said members of county assemblies eyeing MP seats should not resign by February 9.
They have until April 9.
In a statement on Wednesday, the commission said this was after the High Court on May 4, 2021, exempted a sitting president, deputy, president, governors and their deputies, MPs and MCAs from resigning.
The commission, however, said the MCAs can resign before submitting their nomination papers to returning officers.
"The commission wishes to clarify that according to Article 99(2)(d) of the Constitution of Kenya 2010 as read together with Section 43(5) and (6) of the Elections Act, MCAs who wish to contest as Members of Parliament should not resign by February 9, 2022, but should resign before submitting their nomination papers to the Returning Officers to contest as a Member of Parliament," IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati said.