NAIROBI, Kenya, May 12- Former Nairobi Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko’s bid to seek an elective seat in the August polls faces a mountainous task after the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji vowed to block him from contesting in the August polls.
Sonko was impeached in December 2020 by the Nairobi County Assembly on four accounts of Gross Violation of the Constitution, Abuse of Office, Misconduct and Crimes against National Law.
The controversial former Governor is now seeking a return to politics and wants to be the incoming Governor in Mombasa County. The Wiper Party has since endorsed his bid.
Haji has however, declared that his Office will not clear him to contest in the polls.
He stressed that once impeached, one is considered unfit to hold public office and cannot therefore seek to elected, even in a different county.
“In my opinion, you are not only impeached not to run in Nairobi, but it is across the country because this is the republic of Kenya. So, you cannot jump from one county with an impeachment on your neck campaigning that you want to be a governor of another county. My office fight it. We might lose but we will fight it,” he said during an interview on Spice FM.
Sonko was on April 21, 2022 officially handed the Wiper party ticket to vie for Mombasa Governor’s seat.
He was handed the certificate by Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, who also disclosed that Sonko will be deputized by Kisauni Member of Parliament Ali Mbogo.
MP Mbogo had also expressed his interest in the contest but agreed to shelve his ambitions following consensus talks.
“As a result of consultations Governor Sonko becomes the Wiper candidate to be deputized by Ali Mbogo,” stated Kalonzo.
Sonko will now face ODM’s Abdulswamad Nassir, UDA’s Hassan Omar among others.
Sonko decamped from Jubilee to Wiper on March 22, 2022, as part of measures to revive his political career following his impeachment.
He is facing numerous criminal charges including several corruption cases, assault, and terrorist-linked offences, which he has since denied.
In March, the United States government banned Sonko and his immediate family members from travelling to the US over corruption allegations related to abuse of office and bribery.
Kalonzo however came into his defense, saying Sonko cannot be denied a ticket since he has not been charged with a crime.
