By Judith Gicobi
Mike Sonko, one of the candidates seeking election to Mombasa County’s top position, has been given a respite by a three-judge Mombasa High Court bench, which prohibits the IEBC from gazetteing or printing the names of candidates.
Sonko’s nominating party, the Wiper Party, is similarly prohibited from proposing a replacement.
Sonko filed a lawsuit against the IEBC, Mombasa County Returning Officer Swalha Yusuf, and three other parties in the Mombasa court, alleging that they hindered in his bid for governor.
The three-judge bench, which Chief Justice Martha Koome appointed, decided against printing any ballots for the Mombasa seat.
Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko will be on the ballot, according to Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, because he has not used up all of his legal alternatives.
Kalonzo predicted that the bench will likely decide in favor of the former Nairobi governor. The former Vice president was speaking at the wedding of Fairdeal Furnitures CEO Mohamed Zakir’s daughter in Mombasa over the weekend.
Sonko’s impeachment in 2018 resulted in the IEBC forbidding him from running for the governor of Mombasa position.
He then appealed the decision to the IEBC Dispute Resolution Committee, which upheld it.
Wiper had been given 72 hours by the IEBC to name a new governor aspirant, but instead of doing so, the party decided to appeal to the Court of Appeal.
