The race to succeed dethroned Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has taken a fresh twist after a Nairobi court allowed withdrawal of a petition challenging the vetting of deputy governor nominee Anne Mwenda.
This paves way for the vetting of Ms Mwenda by Nairobi County Assembly, an exercise that is set for next week, putting paid to any attempts by Mr Sonko to block the clearance.
Ms Mwenda was cleared by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) in February last year after her nomination in January but her vetting was stopped after a Nairobi voter Peter Agoro went to court.
Yesterday, High Court Judge Justice Hedwig Ong’udi allowed the petitioner to withdraw the case which was questioning the legal capacity of Mr Sonko to nominate a deputy when he had been barred from accessing office due to alleged corruption.
This is after Mr Agoro on Monday expressed intention to withdraw the petition and end a month-long battle.
In her ruling, the judge said the petitioner pursuing the case would be an “academic exercise” since Mr Sonko is no longer in office following his impeachment last month.
“There is no public interest to be suffered. The issues raised in the petition were legal and can be raised anytime by anybody. The petitioner filed the petition in person and was not representing anybody’s interest,” said the judge. But one not to go down alone, the impeached governor dragged the name of the first family in his woes, alleging how Ms Christina Pratt, President Uhuru Kenyatta’s elder sister, attempted to impose on him Ms Jane Weru as deputy governor.
