A lawsuit was filed by two Mombasa residents yesterday seeking to disqualify former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko from running for governor of Mombasa in the August elections.
The two petitioners Ndoro Kaguya and George Odhiambo moved the matter to the Mombasa High Court for a conservatory injunction to prevent Sonko from being cleared by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
According to their lawyer Willis Oluga, despite Sonko’s ineligibility for public office, the Wiper Party nominated him for the Mombasa governorship.
“Pending the hearing and determination of this application, there be issued a conservatory order of injunction to restrain the IEBC from accepting the nomination of Sonko to contest and vie for the office of the Governor of Mombasa County,” said Kaguya.
Sonko was impeached and removed from the office of Nairobi Governor on December 17, 2020, for breaking Article 75 (1) (c) of the Constitution by behaving in a manner that degraded the position of a county governor.
“The charges levelled against the first respondent and which resulted in his removal from office by way of impeachment were abuse of office and gross misconduct,” the petition read in part.
The temporary conservatory orders, he added, will protect Mombasa voters and the general public from being duped into believing Sonko was qualified and capable of running for and being elected to the governorship.
“Having been removed from the office of the governor of Nairobi City County for contravention and violation of inter alia. The first respondent is disqualified from holding any other State Office including the office of Mombasa governor,” they said.
The Wiper pact indicates Sonko would be deputised by Kisauni MP Ali Mbogo, who was also pursuing the Mombasa County top seat but agreed to work with him.
