Parliamentary aspirants will not be required to have a university degree in order to participate in the August polls.
The High Court declared the Members of Parliament requirement to have degrees unconstitutional.
While making the ruling Justice Anthony Mrima said that there was no meaningful public participation before the enactment of Section 22(1)(b)(i) of the Elections Act.
For clarity, the requirement that a person must posses a degree from a university recognized in Kenya to qualify to be a Member of Parliament in Kenya is hereby nullified
Justice Anthony Mrima
He said the law had no legal effect and was void from the beginning.
“For clarity, the requirement that a person must posses a degree from a university recognized in Kenya to qualify to be a Member of Parliament in Kenya is hereby nullified,” he said.
The ruling comes as reprieve to the aspirants who do not have an academic qualifications.
Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission(IEBC) had been awaiting the court ruling to clear aspirants without the degree qualification to contest.
The bill now lowers the threshold for qualification for the aspiring legislators in the August polls.
The court had previously made a similar ruling for the members of parliament.
