Former Nairobi governor Mike Sonko is among aspirants excluded from the list of candidates contesting for various elective seats in the August 9th general elections.
In a gazette notice on Sunday, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) published the names of all presidential, gubernatorial, senatorial, and MP candidates who will be on the ballot.
The name of Sonko, who is eyeing the Mombasa governor’s seat on a Wiper party ticket, is missing as he has a pending case before the High Court after the IEBC disputes resolution tribunal declined to clear him for failing to submit his original degree certificate and a certified copy of the same.
The IEBC also barred Sonko from vying following his impeachment in 2020. In disqualifying Sonko, IEBC Chairperson Wafula Chebukati said all aspirants who were previously impeached from public office cannot contest an election.
Chebukati cited Article 75(3) which states, “A person who is removed from office on contravention of Chapter 6 of the Constitution is disqualified from holding any other State or public office whether elective or appointive.”
Sonko was impeached in December 2020 by the Nairobi County Assembly and the Senate on grounds of gross violation of the constitution, abuse of office, misconduct, and crimes against national law.
Last week, Sonko obtained an order suspending the gazettement of Mombasa gubernatorial candidates in the August 9th elections pending the hearing and determination of his petition.
The three-judge bench further ordered the IEBC not to print ballot papers for the Mombasa governor’s position and barred the Wiper party from nominating a replacement for Sonko. Sonko will know his fate on July 15th when the court will rule on the matter.
Meanwhile, Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja has been listed among the contestants for Nairobi governor despite cases seeking his disqualification from the race for lack of requisite academic qualifications.
The petitioners argue that the senator is ineligible to vie for the Nairobi governor’s post after the Commission for University Education (CUE) revoked the recognition of Sakaja’s Bachelor of Science in Management (external) degree from Team University in Uganda following an inquiry into its authenticity.
