Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has rebuked Chief Justice Martha Koome and Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji over what he says are attempts to stop his Mombasa gubernatorial bid on grounds that he was impeached from office before.
The CJ and DPP have in recent days been adamant in barring formerly impeached governors and convicted politicians from holding or contesting public offices until their names and verdicts are cleared and upended by the court.
While addressing journalists at a hotel in Kilifi County on Saturday, May 21, Sonko reported that the Kenyan Constitution does not specifically state that people with pending court cases are ineligible to hold public offices.
“For you to vie, the court has to set aside your impeachment but the Constitution says that a person is not disqualified unless all possibilities of appeal or review of the relevant sentence or decision has been exhausted,” he stated.
“Mine is a decision; it is an impeachment. My abuse of office case is yet to be determined by the Anti-Corruption Court in Nairobi.” Added the former Nairobi Governor.
Moreover, Sonko said he will continue campaigning for his governorship bid despite Koome and Haji’s statements, citing that he is invested in changing the fortunes of Mombasa residents.
Similarly, the former Nairobi Governor rebuked a section of Coastal leaders who he claims are publicly opposing his bid and painting him in bad light in front of Mombasa residents.
“When I came here looking to change the livelihoods of Mombasa residents they started a lot of propaganda. They started saying that I am a bad person and I am not a native,” said Sonko.
Furthermore, Sonko noted that “What non-native would make investments in Kilifi, Mombasa and Kwale and also employ indigenous people from the Coast?”
